Grandma's House, February 2014

Dear Maya,

After a few errands and the several hour drive from Grandpa's house, we came back to Grandma and Papa Stan's house on Tuesday to continue our little vacation. You loved playing with them every day, especially joining them on their daily morning walks where you would collect bits of nature to bring home.

On Thursday we got to go to the beach! It was breezy but the sun kept us warm enough that we were actually able to go barefoot. You had so much fun finding shells, mostly avoiding being splashed by the waves, and making a sand bunny with Grandma.

After a wonderful few days relaxing and enjoying our time there, we said goodbye to Grandma and Papa Stan and headed north again. We broke the trip into two days and spent the first night in Maryland. There we met a good friend of mommy's and you got to play with her daughter who is just a little older than you. You two were quite the pair, racing around the halls of a mall and playing ring-around-the-rosie in the middle of a crowded restaurant! It was fun to meet them and see you both having so much fun.

The last day we made one quick stop at mommy's alma mater for a few minutes. Unfortunately the bookstore was closed so I couldn't buy you a college t-shirt, but we did snap a few pics by this sign. Next time we'll have to plan a proper trip to Gettysburg so you can see all the sights!

Well, mommy is still tired from our trip so it's time for bed. Love you!

Grandpa's House, February 2014

Dear Maya,

Last week mommy missed another post, but for a very good reason. We were supposed to head out on Thursday to visit your grandparents in North Carolina but a big snow and ice storm was predicted for most of the East Coast. We changed our plans last minute and left before dawn on Wednesday morning instead.

Luckily we had clear weather until we were about an hour from Grandma and Papa Stan's house, when we hit snow and heavy traffic. We had a bit of an emergency when you had to go to the bathroom but we were in traffic on a ramp for a half hour. Flexibility is the name of the game when parenting a toddler, though, so we pulled out your portable potty and you did your business right there in the car, somehow without any mess. Whew! We arrived about 1.5 hours later than expected and spent the next day and a half relaxing.

Next we went to Grandpa's house once we were sure he had power back after the ice storm knocked out electricity in his area for a while. We spent a few days enjoying our time at his house playing with bubbles, balloons, shells, golf balls and feeding the fish in the stream in the backyard. We also visited a few attractions in his area--a fun aquarium, a beautiful arboretum and the riverfront. Thankfully the weather had greatly improved and we all soaked up the sunshine and temperatures around the 50's!

Tomorrow we're headed back to Grandma and Papa Stan's for a proper visit. You've been so, so good in the car for this entire trip so we're not too concerned about our 5 hour drive. Let's hope the lovely weather and your wonderful behavior continues for the rest of our little vacation.

Love you!

Tale of two Mayas...

Dear Maya,

Over the last week you've had the best of times and the worst of times, or so you make it seem.

You had so much fun last week with Grandma and Papa Stan visiting. You were very talkative, cuddly and sweet, even one day spontaneously telling Grandma to "be careful" as she headed out to the store. You also got to spend some time with your cousin Grace and Grandma loved having you both on her lap at once!

 

Grandma and Papa Stan left on Sunday morning before we woke up. To prevent your usual post-visit meltdown, mommy and daddy took you to a new park for a bit before shopping to enjoy the relatively warm weather. You loved the dinosaur and kept 'roaring' as you rode it.

Of course the post-visit meltdown happened Monday and Tuesday instead. We had some good moments learning new words and phrases and doing basic math, but you were high-maintenance and pretty cranky otherwise. Then today we had a big snowstorm so daddy had the day off work. We went outside and made a snowman (okay, more of a blob because the snow wouldn't pack right) and daddy made you a snow slide and the coolest part of all--a snow tunnel! The cold, fresh air really seemed to lift your spirits!

Well, mommy needs her sleep! Love you!