The non-adventures of me in CA

A few weeks ago, Janie and I ditched the boys at home and took a well deserved vacay back to the Bay Area to stay with my awesome sis Bek in her awesome house and play with her awesome kids. Bek had put me up for multiple summers both when I was a penniless college student looking for a sweet summer job and for six months as a homeless army wife. She even took me in with Husband and Baby #1 in tow while J ran a business out there for a summer. So, Bek's house always feels like home to me. Except it's a home where no kids are hollering at me and where I can sleep in and have no other demands on my time or emotions. We took naps and did nothing touristy, but all those oridinary things that seem so much more special when you are not hauling three kids around. You know, like when you lose weight and all those clothes you can fit into again feel like new? It was like that and it was great. We ate at Boston Market every day and visited Naartjie and Trader Joe's and the Cheesecake Factory and the best Goodwill ever. If you ever want good food, good rest, good conversation and good shopping, go stay at Bek's! Tell her I sent you... :-)

Cubby, Janie and Bek - Janie was fussy this morning but would calm down for Cubby. He asked me if I could leave her there.

The two big kids were gone the first two days I was there, so I got to play with Nono (Thomas' age) and hear her chatter and sing and I also got to see little G make the greatest faces

She is a mini Lulu, and so happy...

This looks like a grumpy face, but she was being silly

She spent at least an hour playing with her reflection

and the next hour patting the baby and saying "bababa." While we were there, she also picked up the sign for baby as well.

Then she got tired...

Bek also used her far superior camera and skills to take some pictures of J-Lo

Look at that scowl and those eyebrows. Is this J's kid or what?!

She has Alfred Hitchcock cheeks and you just can't keep from kissing and smooshing them (I bet Alfred Hitchcock had the same effect on people!)

On the way home on the plane, it was open seating and it was obvious that no one wanted to sit next to a baby, so we got an empty seat next to us on both flights. Janie didn't make a peep. This kid is already paying for herself!