LaLa land

We took a quick trip to San Marino, extending the long weekend a bit to spend time with Nana. It ended up being a very low key trip - lots of trips to the park, hotel pool, eating, visiting Great, Great Aunt Florence, checking out the Pasadena children's museum, and enjoying a bit of summer in January. The weather was in the low 80s every day and we were happy to trade the fog and drear we've had lately for some good old, So Cal sunshine. We also drove up to Chantry Flats, the site of many of Steve's younger-year escapades, and had an impressive view of the entire LA basin. It's amazing how brown it was compared to Nor Cal since it was as green as we've ever seen it. Oh, my southern Cali ambivalence lives on.

Grace was a great traveler - she was quite fascinated by the "ah-planes". She got her own seat with her new harness. But she was begging to get out of her seat right about the time we landed, but we're having scary flash-forwards for our cross-country trip in May. She loved chasing Nana's poor cats, or discussing the cat's location repeatedly, saying "a kitty go?" This is her new phrase, replacing where with "a" and asking about everyone and everything all the time.

Grace had a wonderful time visiting Great Great Aunt Florence. She just turned 95 and is quite sharp and totally hilarious. For instance, her room in her assisted living center is next to the electrical closet so she says they put her "next to the electric chair." She also has lots of chocolate - I would say she and Grace are on the same wavelength on that one.

I didn't take many pictures, and really wish I had a few of Grace "swimming" because she's so scrumptiously cute in her little bathing suit, but here are a couple of highlights. And more here.

Here she invented a game of patting the clay bunny and then pulling her hand away quickly, yelling "aaaah!" and giggling uproariously. And then getting her parents to do it. Over and over and over.

Playing at the park. She ran around climbing and sliding and swinging and yelling for over an hour. Constant motion. She repeatedly fell over or faceplanted in the bark, or ran into adults' legs, but with every crash she popped right back up and ran on, as if it hadn't happened. It was kind of hilarious. Eventually we had to drag her out because it was getting dark and all the responsible parents were putting sweatshirts on their kids and rounding them up for dinner.

Loving the climbing wall at Kidspace.

Getting soaked with the water toys. How fun is it to fill a bucket and then tip it onto your dress?

The chance to "ride a cycle" as she proclaimed while were on the little track dovetailed nicely with Grace's recent obsession with helmets (ski helmets in particular, but helmets generally will do).