I fell down on the trip log, but as I was writing Letters to Joseph-July, I realized that this is also sort of a trip log, so first...the beginning of July and the days I've already covered from the trip, then on to the California trip.
Dear Joseph:
We ended up taking your Dad to Colman Pool, so we swam with him and you had SO much fun. You feel very safe in his strong arms. Since then, we’ve gone back and you are a little less sure when I’m holding you in the water. If I play ‘peekaboo’ with you, by me going under water and then popping back up in front of you in your floaty, you think it’s pretty OK.
For the Fourth of July we all went out to Betty McDonald’s Farm on Vashon Island. We just relaxed and watched the fireworks far away across the water. We went down to the beach and you played with your bucket, shovel, and disco duck. You and I walked down to the water’s edge and you looked back and yelled ‘HI’ and waved at Ama, who was very pleased indeed.
You started walking as your main mode of transport about mid-July. I wish you could see people’s response (well, you can see it now, but you probably won’t remember it) to little you getting up and walking across the room. You are a SOLID walker already and you are learning to navigate steps as well. People are always so surprised because you are so young. But Uncle Asa and I both walked at 9 months, so you come by it honestly.
We’ve spent lots of time in the back yard, playing with your big plastic car that you sit in, with hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 (we found it under the porch when we moved in). Apparently it belonged to the little boys who lived here before, Trevor and River. We also play in your purple plastic wading pool with your purple ball. Have I mentioned you’ve shown a particular affinity for purple? We sit back there under the fig tree and blow bubbles. We also swing in the hammock which hangs in the cherry tree a lot, and nurse there. You love it. You also love our neighbor, Lovelle. She loves you too and always wants to pick you up. She gives you toys that her daughters (long since grown daughters) played with; an orange plastic van and a soft soccer ball. You think they are both great. Whenever she comes out of her house across the street you start getting all excited. You smile and yell and wave your arms up and down.
We frequent the Delridge wading pool and you’ve made lots of friends there…and sometimes we go there with cousin Henry.
At the end of July, we took a trip in the car to California! We loaded up the back seat with lots of toys and books for you and stayed in Eugene, OR the first night. You did amazingly well considering that we drove down the Coast to Stinson Beach and San Francisco. We drove through the Redwood Forest (where I pretended we were a family of fairies in a miniature car, driving through a forest of regular sized trees) and into Crescent City. In Crescent City you saw the Ocean for the first time. We stopped at a black sand beach with rock formations in the water called ‘haystacks’. You were a little unsure about the crashing waves at first, but then you got excited to play in the sand. We sat and watched the surfers and soaked up the sun.
Then we drove on and you got a little cranky. We brought a portable DVD player, so you watched numbers videos, sign language videos, and baby songs videos. A few times Dad and I took turns getting in the back seat with you to read or sing to you. We stayed in Garberville, CA the second night because it was getting too late to make it to Mendocino…but we drove there the next day. It was in Mendocino, CA where Auntie Ali called me and told me she’s pregnant with TWINS! TWO friends for you in NYC!
We ended up taking your Dad to Colman Pool, so we swam with him and you had SO much fun. You feel very safe in his strong arms. Since then, we’ve gone back and you are a little less sure when I’m holding you in the water. If I play ‘peekaboo’ with you, by me going under water and then popping back up in front of you in your floaty, you think it’s pretty OK.
For the Fourth of July we all went out to Betty McDonald’s Farm on Vashon Island. We just relaxed and watched the fireworks far away across the water. We went down to the beach and you played with your bucket, shovel, and disco duck. You and I walked down to the water’s edge and you looked back and yelled ‘HI’ and waved at Ama, who was very pleased indeed.
You started walking as your main mode of transport about mid-July. I wish you could see people’s response (well, you can see it now, but you probably won’t remember it) to little you getting up and walking across the room. You are a SOLID walker already and you are learning to navigate steps as well. People are always so surprised because you are so young. But Uncle Asa and I both walked at 9 months, so you come by it honestly.
We’ve spent lots of time in the back yard, playing with your big plastic car that you sit in, with hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 (we found it under the porch when we moved in). Apparently it belonged to the little boys who lived here before, Trevor and River. We also play in your purple plastic wading pool with your purple ball. Have I mentioned you’ve shown a particular affinity for purple? We sit back there under the fig tree and blow bubbles. We also swing in the hammock which hangs in the cherry tree a lot, and nurse there. You love it. You also love our neighbor, Lovelle. She loves you too and always wants to pick you up. She gives you toys that her daughters (long since grown daughters) played with; an orange plastic van and a soft soccer ball. You think they are both great. Whenever she comes out of her house across the street you start getting all excited. You smile and yell and wave your arms up and down.
We frequent the Delridge wading pool and you’ve made lots of friends there…and sometimes we go there with cousin Henry.
At the end of July, we took a trip in the car to California! We loaded up the back seat with lots of toys and books for you and stayed in Eugene, OR the first night. You did amazingly well considering that we drove down the Coast to Stinson Beach and San Francisco. We drove through the Redwood Forest (where I pretended we were a family of fairies in a miniature car, driving through a forest of regular sized trees) and into Crescent City. In Crescent City you saw the Ocean for the first time. We stopped at a black sand beach with rock formations in the water called ‘haystacks’. You were a little unsure about the crashing waves at first, but then you got excited to play in the sand. We sat and watched the surfers and soaked up the sun.
Then we drove on and you got a little cranky. We brought a portable DVD player, so you watched numbers videos, sign language videos, and baby songs videos. A few times Dad and I took turns getting in the back seat with you to read or sing to you. We stayed in Garberville, CA the second night because it was getting too late to make it to Mendocino…but we drove there the next day. It was in Mendocino, CA where Auntie Ali called me and told me she’s pregnant with TWINS! TWO friends for you in NYC!
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