Back to Camp Spooky.

Told you we would be busy, so busy that we realized today was the last day for SS to visit Camp Spooky. P worships Halloween and Snoopy, thus not going wasn't an option. SS and I are nursing nasty colds. Thank Goddess SS does not take after her Mama and can take a cold like a champ. Not me, it just floors me.  P wondered if it was a good idea to go, but his love of Halloween won and against his best judgment we headed to Knott's.

Such a Baba's girl, SS is wearing one of our gifts for P's birthday, one of his Breaking Bad Pins.  SS chose the coolest, Heisenberg.

Am I tall enough to whine about getting into rides I have no business riding, then freak out and blame it on your parenting?

SS's second Camp Spooky Scavenger Hunt.

SS's first picture with Schroeder. 

Today was a good day because Peppermint Patty stopped to say hi to SS. She was on her way to the side entrance to get a rest, but stopped for a quick pic.

We were seating under the shade when Snoopy made an appearance barely five feet from us. SS put on her mask and gloves in record time to capture this moment.

P is sad about missing this year's Halloween Haunt, but next year we are on.

The cowboys couldn't help getting in on a pic when they realized Iron Man was a cute little girl (SS had her mask off when they met).

Last year we had to usher SS up to the stage when the costume parade started. Today she flew off the bench before we asked if she wanted to join them. SS hugged Woodstock.

SS also got a hug from The Beagle himself.

Proud parents of Iron Man.

Bullseye!

Yesterday was the last day of this session of archery, and the tournament. The coaches played tournament music and even opened by displaying the flag and playing the National anthem (overkill, but what do we know). They do go out of their way to make the kids feel good about being part of the sport. SS had some less than stellar shots, and with one arrow left she nailed it. SS wants to return for the next session, the first week of either November or December. We are proud of SS, and there's nothing better than looking at that cute face filled with pride. 

And to think we used to be so close.

Last Saturday as we were driving home from P's work SS was talking non stop about the treasure maps she made for us. She asked me about six times before we left if I had my map. Asked me again as we were in the van, and then another time on the short drive home.  Just as we are about to turn onto our street SS said, "Mama, you want to know something about your map?" Sure SS... "Your map has the wrong information Mama." I asked why would she draw me a map with wrong information. SS replied "Because I want Baba to find the treasure, not you, so I had to make you get lost." OUCH, and to think I thought we were close, I guess that went out the window when I abandoned SS to go to work.

OK, so it stings a little, but I am getting glimpses of what P endured since SS came home. And I have to hand it to the man, he handled it very well. Because we are human (except for my lack of a heart) and can't help to feel slighted. It really has been great watching this new chapter in our lives develop. Initially P was going to handle dropping off at camp then school only until I was stationed at my permanent office. I really dislike driving the sedan, and was looking forward to getting my van back.  But given SS' early departure to catch the B&G bus it just made sense for P to handle both drop off and pick up times.

P also gets more face time at school. Just this morning it hit me how few times I have been on campus this school year.  Months ago it was my Monday through Friday routine.  I really cherish the two Fridays a month that I get to be there for SS. This morning I remembered that last year the school Halloween Parade was the Friday before Halloween. And since it was held first thing in the morning I panicked. I didn't want SS to be the only child there without a costume.  P had not come across any flyers or heard anything.  I texted one of the moms and found the parade will be held next Thursday. Makes sense to have it on Halloween, but today would have been so convenient for me.  And my supervisor totally gets it and will sign off on me coming in a couple of hours later. But I'm so new that I really want to be judicious with my requests.  I much rather save the good will points for P's or SS's illness. It's just how it works here, we are an island of three.

And as expected P came to the rescue, he will take some personal time off to be there to cheer for whatever super hero our daughter will morph into for the parade.  They have a strict costumes off rule immediately after the parade (to avoid upsetting parents who believe Halloween is devil worship), so SS will need help.  I made it last year, now it's P's turn to enjoy the madness, and I will wait patiently for pictures, just like he did last year.  Here's a prediction, P will conveniently forget that masks are not allowed. Maybe we can rotate daytime special school moments starting next year. 

SS had a cough for a few days that we kept under control with OTC medication. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and very unhappy. P told me to thank my daughter for passing it on. The girl is all about sharing, especially her precious germs.  But SS also woke up with a sore throat and phlegm coughing. We are both going to have to go to bed early, nicely medicated because we have full days tomorrow.  I'm going to do another six hour stint at work (loving Health Care Reform) and SS is going to work with Baba.  That makes 14.5 down and 25.5 to go. And I'm sure SS will once again go out of her way to slight me in favor of her Baba.

She makes us laugh, and she makes us teary eyed.

This happened Sunday as P was combing SS's hair...

SS: Baba, what is a hobbit?
P: A person of short stature.
Me: Cringed because I know better.
SS: HEY! I'm only a kid!

About two weeks ago SS had a mishap at school and I received a voice mail from the school nurse. I had neglected to inform the school that I was no longer the parent to call first.  That honor is now P's because he has the flexibility to do what he did, rush over to the school. I found it odd that the school nurse, who is very well acquainted with SS, was using her first name.  Not only that, but she was pronouncing it properly. It was even weirder when she said SS was sitting next to her and SS did not correct her.  Everyone calls SS by her nickname, her K teacher had no idea it was not her given name until she looked at her file.  I was more worried about my baby's well being and forgot to inquire with SS later.

I got my answer a few days later. P told me that Mrs. S (SS's teacher) came up to him after school and told him that SS wants to be addressed by her first name.  She was confused because everyone uses her nickname and asked P if we use her first name at home.  Nope, this was news to us.  SS looked up from what she was doing and said "I love my real name." And that is the teary eyed part. Not that she is embracing her first name, but that she is letting people know how it is pronounced. SS knows that she is named after her maternal great grandmother, and how much Mami meant to me. So yeah, it made me teary eyed to hear SS say that she loves her name. And then I laughed because I realized that SS must have set the school nurse straight, taking in consideration how carefully she pronounced SS's name.

OMG she looks so feminine, you can't tell she has a Y chromosome.The best thing about this picture is that P got her ready for school.  He was home and we never wake our beautiful beast before we need to if we are home. I volunteered to awaken our bear to get her ready for picture day but P reassured me that he was perfectly capable of getting his own child ready. He did a great job, and we were looking forward to a toothless smile, but you can't really tell she's missing teeth. To those who usually get a picture, we should get them out in the mail by the time SS starts third grade.   

Happy birthday to the sexiest hubby and Baba ever.

Having Thai for dinner to celebrate the man who single handedly brought sexy back.

Sent from my iPhone

Our working girl busted her hump to earn her keep.

Back in the day when I was a productive member of society, as in pre SS, I worked a lot of overtime hours.  As much as we dislike the County Without Milk, it was there that we were able to save enough to bring SS home, then for me to stay home with out child.  I learned early in my training that my new position has no such frill benefits. In my job classification over time is not permitted until I pass probation, and that is 18 months.  While one of the lower paid positions (only clerical makes less than my job) it is incredibly complex. That is why the union agreed to such a long probation period, the learning curve is steep, and you start master the tasks at around the 12 month mark. So I resigned myself to have to wait until November of next year to start building comp time.

Like P I was very stingy with my vacation time, and tried to build as much comp time as possible.  But alas, that was not going to happen. Except that with health care reform counties are under the gun to get applicants on the rolls ASAP.  Our county had a program that was completely manual. I have processed a few of those cases and they are a pain to get done.  Everything is done outside the nifty computer system we use for all other cases. Then once we generate those forms we scan them into the system. Right now the County must transfer all those files into the system to be ready for January first.  This is where the over time (OT) rule took a hit. A worker in classification II has a caseload of between 500-700 cases. It is brutal work and due to the volume they are perennially behind.  When they come in for OT it is to catch up on their work.  At least one Saturday a month our office has an OT party. The IIs and supervisors come in to work without phone interruptions, or clients in the lobby asking for a face to face.

As a I, my caseload is reduced, and I should get only 30 new cases a month, although I have ended up with almost 40 a month. That sounds cushy, but those are intake cases. In an unusual move, they are also assigning us re-evaluation cases, and cases from three other programs. It's never been done before, and after realizing what a mistake it was they won't do it with new hires.  But those of us unfortunate enough to be their test monkeys are stuck with the cluster f*ck of a caseload.  Hey, not really complaining, because having 700 cases is an actual problem.

So much to our green I status surprise, we have been asked if we want to help with the conversion process. Makes sense, it's simply data entry, and cleaning up cases. It's easy because the mistakes made are so glaring, like someone receiving benefits without an ID or birth certificate on file. We enter the information in the system, send out a request for the person to provide the verifications needed, and flag the case worker to review the case in three days. For the past month a lot of Is (the people I went to class with) have been doing OT in the evenings, only 2.5 hours. Since we work 9 hour days, it is quite a stretch. I did not volunteer because I was having difficulties getting used to the different programs and their requirements. Believe me, I was paid so well for doing something that takes no skill, removing a child from their home. OK, the court report writing was supposed to be difficult, but it was the easiest part of the job for me. This so called "non-skilled" position I am in now takes a toll on the mind and on your confidence. Also, I was hesitant to take time away from SS. I'm struggling with doing what millions of women do, working. A one income household is a thing of the past, yet I miss my baby.

But I would have to be crazy to pass up the opportunity to build comp time. I have to accumulate 40 hours before I am paid for OT.  I realized that I should start now because you never know what crisis is brewing. I stayed last week Thursday for my first 2.5 hour stint. That was a calculated move because I was off Friday, I was going to be able to give SS cuddle, and one on one time. Another bonus was that I was assigned to work on processing cases for a program that I was having a hard time understanding.  Nothing like processing 25 continuous cases in the same program to finally have the routine settle in your brain. Hey 2.5 down, 37.5 to go, and I finally figured out one piece of the puzzle.

On Wednesday our supervisor emailed seeking volunteers to work yesterday, a Saturday. I thought it was the monthly OT party, but no, he needed anyone who wanted to spend 6 hours working on conversions. Damn, the down side to P working Saturdays. I told my sup I'd love to but it's just me and the Baba taking care of SS, so I had to decline the offer. When I mentioned this to P he said "I can take the girl to work." SS spent a lot of time at P's previous job, but it was a lab with under 50 employees, family owned and operated. This is different and I thought he was kidding. No, he was dead serious, there are no supervisors at the plant on Saturdays, SS is thankfully very well behaved, and his coworkers did not mind. A plus of all the time SS has spent in a lab is that she is very well aware of not touching, what she can be close to, and what she must avoid. P understood that I had been worried about waiting so long to build my comp time reserve, and really did not want me to pass up this opportunity.

Yesterday morning we were all up bright and early, no pajama and movie viewing party for SS and Mama. Since P starts at seven and I did not start until eight, I allowed SS an extra half hour of sleep. SS donned her Dr. white coat, to match P's lab coat, and I dropped her off at the plant on my way to work. This was also very easy since we work a whole mile from each other, probably less. 

SS packed Legos, and drawing supplies for her day at work. Doesn't she look so adorable and professional? Yesterday the district's water was safer than ever, Dr. SS was on the job. Waste water plant protocol was carefully followed and all testing perfectly processed.

Chickens, they have chickens at the plant for vector control. In English, the chickens eat the mosquitoes.

SS brought home these eggs, since she is on a scrambled egg kick lately.

SS had a blast from her past, her friends made an appearance.  When P texted me this picture I wondered if it was safe for them to be there. P is not sure is good for them, but who is going to stop them.  On our drive home SS told me that she misses the ducks we used to visit at our former home.  SS was a big fan of the ducks and geese under the sun dial bridge. SS said "Mama, Baba got ducks for me to see." I had no idea my husband had such power to be able to summon animals for his daughter's viewing pleasure. She's a Baba's girl alright.

This picture was a hit with my coworkers and I was able to feel less yucky about dumping my kid to work on a Saturday. Most kids do not get to set foot in a lab until middle school, and my daughter has been around microscopes since she was a toddler. Not a bad way to spend six hours.

Another positive aspect of SS's work day is that she was able to see what her father does.  My work is as boring as it gets, although SS is very curious about where I spend so much time now days. Unfortunately SS is not allowed in my work area due to confidentiality.  She would have had a better chance if I was still a CPS social worker. Both jobs are big on confidentiality, but husbands and kids were the exception at my former job.  Where I work now they are rabid about confidentiality. During the summer one of my co worker's daughter was doing an internship downstairs. She was technically an employee and was working with the same information we handle upstairs.  But she was not allowed to come into our area.  My coworker had to go downstairs and have her breaks and lunch there to see her daughter.  So no, I doubt SS's cuteness is going to get her in the door.

This morning I noticed a band aid on SS's wrist and asked her what happened. With all the seriousness of a six year old she replied, "It happened at work." Ha! SS really cracks me up. 

B&G Club open house.

Wow, it's been a while, but I won't bore anyone with tales of the first mother ever to return to work and how difficult it is. We have been busy, but we are healthy and happy and that is what counts. If it was easy it would not be that meaningful. The complexities of my job are finally starting to make sense (scary thought) and I am finally caught up, and have been given more independence.  P has been doing an amazing job with the nightmare that is getting SS to do homework.  Last year the onus was on me and I am enjoying the break. Last Friday I left the house when I took SS to school and returned around 3:30 p.m. Errands, nothing fun to do, plus we were getting ready for a weekend getaway.  Once I got home I had forty five minutes to take a break, then off to archery at 4:15 p.m. It was then that it dawned on me that there is no such thing as a day off when SS goes to school. That Friday "off" is simply an errand running, catching up with house chores day. Not a big deal.

But I felt bad for P because Mondays and Tuesdays are not really days off for him. There's still driving SS to and from school, homework, and getting dinner ready. P only has one day off a week and that really sucks big time, because he also works nine hour days. At least I have Saturday and Sundays. Next time I feel like a martyr for running a few errands I need to be mindful that compared to P I have it easy. And SS has turned our Saturdays into pajama party, movie viewing, cuddling days. It does feel like I'm wasting time, but SS misses our cuddles and I just can't deny her that every other Saturday.

On our way to our little trip we received great news. Not ready to share yet but we are going to be consumed with coordinating and preparing for the next month. Even happy events can be stressful, and our very limited time is going to be about making it happen. Like Grandpa said when he called upon me texting him, "you will all be happier now." And no, we are not going to China to bring a son home. That pipe dream went down the drain a while back. However, we will be in a happier place around this time next month.

Last night the B&G Club held an open house to share the kids' projects and inform the parents about the activities that are available.  They are now remodeling the entire building and are operating out of the computer lab. The kids spend their time outdoors, so we hope that can have the remodel done by the time it gets cold.  SS had two works of art on display and she was happy to show us her masterpieces.  It's so nice to see our girl excited and in show off mode. SS was still wearing her uniform because she had guitar class until six, we then went to dinner, and returned to the clubhouse at seven for the open house. Recently SS announced that she wants a piano for her birthday and piano classes. We are going to enlarge her passport poster size and place it over her bed. SS, your last name is not Jolie-Pitt. 

SS has been drawing Batman a lot lately, she goes from one super hero obsession to another. We think it looks pretty good.

This one was a group effort between SS and two of her boy buddies.

OK, one more look at her Batman.

Keeping things in perspective.

Last Wednesday I was going through my pre SS is awake routine. I had P's uniform ready for his monthly safety meeting, the only time he leaves home in uniform. My clothes were ready, then I moved on to SS's, and could not find the blouse I wanted her to wear that morning. I could have sworn it was with the rest of her uniforms but I could not locate the darn thing. This would be a problem if the girl was hurting for clothing, just choose another one and move on. But one of my worst flaws is how difficult it is to change gears when I have my mind set on something.  So there I was looking for the blouse, mumbling under my breath, being a brat.  When P sees me in that mode he simply gives me space, he went outside to read his beloved news. As I came back in the living room P says "We have a BIG problem," serious face, grave tone of voice. I kept on my fruitless search, which made P call to me again to please go outside. 

Now, why didn't I rush out to my husband other than the fact that I am a lousy wife? I'm used to that tone and look, it has happened a few times during our time together. Let's review some of the BIG issues we have had to deal with:

Right now P is mourning the end of Breaking Bad, and he will never EVER find a show that he can connect with on such a deep level. The man grew up in front of a TV, I'm sure he will find a substitute.

Then there's the Snoopy license plate debacle. He signed up for it, he made sure I did the same.But alas, no license plate yet, and P is mad as hell. There are frequent outbursts of how we can live in a State, let alone a country that does not recognize Snoopy's historical significance.He is seriously considering raising SS in another country.Details to follow as they develop.

Susan Sarandon's betrayal was also BIG. She was a big crush of my husband and it was understood he would drop me like a bad habit if she ever became available. And when she did I accepted our fate. But before P could come home and kiss me and SS goodbye, Susan hooked up with a thirty two year old ping pong playing nerd. The woman is dead to him.

So maybe that is why I did not rush, but P insisted. When I stepped outside he handed me his phone and asked me to read. Sorry, no glasses, blind, you read. But P insisted, so I held the phone at arm's length from my eyes and was able to make out that there was a fire the night before at a B&G club. Our daughter's clubhouse, where she was due in less than hour to catch a bus to school. We did worry, and I was more concerned because I was too damn busy making a big deal about a stupid blouse. While I was mumbling around P was planning to drive over to the club, and if the $200,000 in damage meant no bus service, he would take personal time off to drive SS to school then bring her home.  He did not want me to stress out, and he knew that we would work out something. The damage was big, but the building was structurally sound, and life goes on, except that the teen room was destroyed. The fire was caused by a mini fridge in that room. We are incredibly grateful there were no kids at the club.

And while this is about keeping things in perspective, finding a stupid item of clothing versus what  we were going to do with SS, it's also at the heart of our daily worries. It is why we are not a part of the G0d will provide fan club. Because although once I calmed down I realized that B&G club would have a plan B, well I still worried.  And while P thought the same, he still worried. Because we are the ones providing for SS, because she is not as blessed as I was to have grandparents waiting at home.  There are those moments of panic about what ifs.  The longer SS is at home, the more we come to realize that although we took an unusual path to become a couple, and another unusual path to becoming a family, we are very cautious about where we go next. Dreams are wonderful, even if there's pain along the way of realizing them.  Our journey to SS was hell on so many aspects, but meeting her, finally bringing her home, and having the privilege to see the world through her eyes has been an amazing gift. We would love to enjoy that gift again, but not at the cost of SS, not at the cost of what she deserves.  

Enough about this let's go in circles while we know the end result silliness. This morning we headed out to get SS to see the dinosaurs at Cabazon, on our way to our last summer hurrah. P and I stopped at that same spot 17 years ago on our way back from Joshua Tree. It's where I learned of P's fear of heights, albeit too late as we had reached the summit of our rock climb.  We always planned to bring SS and we finally made it happen.

Wow, a creature with bigger paws than my parents!

TGIF

You know you are OLD when a simple two day stint at what was for us the easiest park ever leaves us messed up the rest of the week. I by no means consider P old, given our age difference, but he just can't stop complaining about getting old. His favorite line is "Are you going to trade me in for a younger model?" Funny thing is that I just love the changes I see in him. He is no longer a 150 pound guy who made a bet he could gain weight and failed miserably. P worked hard at increasing his caloric intake and fell very short of his goal. P complains about his gray hairs. Again, no sympathy since I have had them since childhood. Not at the rate I have now, but people would always comment on why on earth would a child have gray hairs. In my case it was just a matter of  getting more and more.  The man has no idea how incredibly hot he is, and I am not the only one in his fan club.  SS loves her Baba no matter what, but she especially loves his buzzed look. So as far as P is concerned his wife and daughter trump any other opinions. He is actually toying with shaving his head for a more clean look.

TGIF for me because P is working tomorrow, bummer. We are hoping to get some water time Sunday and it will depend on how P is feeling. 

SS oh so close to Legoland.




We are well aware that SS really needed a trim as this video shows.The girl looks like Cousin It and the fedora just accentuated the resemblance. I asked P to get her a trim Tuesday, and he reacted as though I asked him to pull an Abraham with SS as his Isaac. I calmly reminded him that I have done plenty alone with SS, including Saturday soccer games and many more things.  It took me a while to realize that SS has only had two trims since coming home. One with us before the Iowa wedding, and another one with just me. 

When I realized this I texted P that all he need to do was ask the hair dresser to trim two inches, even out the hair. I also told him to say NO to any suggestions of short, bobs (YUCK) or bangles (double YUCK).  I usually would not be this confident, but what P did not remember is how adamant SS is about having long hair. It comes with a cost, the detangling, the tears, the annoyance.  SS is our tiny Goliath, she just wants her hair long. Given the fit she threw last time I had her hair trimmed I knew she would set the hair dresser, and anyone at that establishment straight.  I should have requested more than two inches because the only way you can tell SS's hair met scissors is by the evenness. I am happy to report that both father and daughter survived the experience without a frantic call to the mama. 

We love the way SS says not breaking apart at the end of the video below. Not sure what she meant but it was cute. 

It's Iron Man!

Iron Man flying.

How cute is this close up? There have been concerns about whether SS is aware of her gender, given our lackadaisical attitude about indulging her super hero obsession. SS is VERY aware that she is a girl, a girl that is allowed by her parents to like what she likes. Just try saying she is a boy, because we are going to film it, put it in YouTube and it will go viral. SS is darn well aware of who she is.  Instead of parading around in princesses outfits, she has chosen to engage in more active play. SS has chosen to save the day, be the knight in shinning armor. It beats the hell out of growing up waiting for a guy to save her day and be her knight in shining armor.

Good thing the Tooth Fairy makes hotel calls.

Friday night SS and I were cuddling upstairs in bed, she was excitedly yapping about Legoland when it hit me. Oh no! The Tooth Fairy was due tonight, we had harped on it, because TTF only comes when a child sleeps in her own bed. Yes, we made that up, don't judge us, SS has a way of squatting on our bed. I frantically texted P, who was downstairs watching an inappropriate show. Before people get bent out of shape, he was not watching porn. While we are incredibly (or shamefully) laid back, there's only so much violence we allow SS to witness. It was late, P was not about to go out to get $5. Cash in hand our choices we $10 or $20. Mindful of not setting a precedent those were not choices. P came up with the idea of asking SS if she wanted to place her tooth under her pillow at the hotel the next night. Necessity is the mother of invention and boy did it work. SS thought it would be great to get a visit from TTF at the hotel. Should we be embarrassed?

SS went to bed really early Saturday, before her eight o'clock bedtime. After Legoland we checked in at the hotel then went out to dinner. P is a whiz when it comes to researching, he found a German restaurant/deli, and we were looking forward to our meal. P had read that lunch time was a witch. Turned out that dinner was not better. What P did not know was that buying from the deli and eating at the restaurant are one and the same at Tip Tops Meats.  It's basically take out or eat in. The line is the same, and by the time P got our food we had been there for over an hour.

We were hungry but it could have been worse. P was worried because my foot and knee were sore. SS and I sat at a booth while he stood in line, problem solved. As he was getting close to order P texted me "I'm sorry." For what? "Don't like you two waiting like this" was his response. We were all hungry, but it could've been worse. SS and I were seated, P brought us iced water, SS was busy with her iPad and I had my phone. We were not bored stiff, thirsty or suffering. Later that night P repeated how upset he was about "bringing you along." Chill dude, your daughter spent almost sixteen months in an orphanage, and your wife has gone through plenty of painful procedures. Waiting in a booth does not constitute suffering. By the time P came to us with our to go order (he did not want us to spend more time there) SS had forgotten what was going on. As I put away her earphones and iPad SS said, "Mama, did I eat already?" Our poor baby. OK, so P had a point.

We returned to the room and had a picnic on the floor. Since the Legoland hotel was booked we had planned to get a Lego themed PJ for SS. That was before the long wait at TTM. As tired as P was (he worked the day before, I did not, and he drove to LL), he went in search of PJs for his baby. SS was out a minute after P left our room. When he returned we dressed SS in her new PJs, and her eyes were open.  We were concerned that she would remain awake, but she went back to sleep.

I woke up late in the night or early in the morning to go to the bathroom.  SS surprised me by coming in the bathroom as well. I seized the opportunity and removed the tooth from under the pillow and replaced it with the money.  Then I cringed and wondered if it was too obvious, but before I could return the tooth SS was back in the room.  Damn!  I watched while hoping SS was too sleepy to remember her tooth. Yeah right, SS put her head on the pillow turned on her side and... She obviously remembered, smiled and looked under the pillow. SS was very happy to find that The Tooth Fairy really makes hotel calls. I still have issues with TTF, Santa and all other childhood rites of passage that involve deception. There is going to come a time when SS reads awful accounts of child trafficking, and I am afraid moments like this one will undermine our credibility. Gee K, why ruin this happy moment? Because when SS reads this, I hope she understands the fragile balance we have tried to achieve between letting her enjoy her childhood, and preparing her to trust us when things get serious.

When SS woke up the next morning she had no recollection of us getting her in her PJs and she was so stoked about waking up dressed in Ninjago threads. She was even more excited about her $5, to which he held on to while enjoying her iPad until daylight.

She was out cold right after this picture was taken. 

Baba got SS an Iron Man fleece blanket for her Legoland adventure, the girl really got loot for one tooth.

SS's size 8 Ninjago PJs, it's the smallest size P found. As always, Baba got just the right thing for his dainty little girl.

Legoland Waterpark

On Sunday we had an easy morning even though SS woke up at a little past six. We chilled, had breakfast, spent time in the hot tub, then cleared our room to head to the waterpark. The waterpark is very small but has many attractive features.  Unlike Soak City and other larger parks, SS was tall enough to ride almost all rides.  Their lazy river is only two and a half feet deep, and I was surprised to see many kids without a PFD.  The lazy river inner tubes have a base to build upon with plastic Legos. We were bummed when we couldn't ride together in the double inner tube. SS is so small that it is just easier to share a double. We have been able to do so at the other parks we have visited. They really hype the "build a raft" aspect of the lazy river, but it isn't as easy as it looks. P really spent a while trying to get the blocks to stay together.  When he was almost done I made the mistake of pushing him towards the waterfall (payback for earlier), and down went his blocks.  He finally managed to rebuild, and we got SS to jump just in time to his inner tube for a picture.  The things we do for our kids. 

In the small kid section they have a mini lazy river, and we thought that was so darn cool. No pressure or rowdy big kids.  SS took command of a crocodile in the small kid area and became rather possessive. There is a down side to growing as the only child at home.  When other kids tried to get on the crocodile SS would say "There's an elephant back there and a polar bear over there, go try one." She later tried to pull the same stunt with the water guns and we had to get her to sit down and chill.She actually body checked a huge girl when the girl got too close to SS's precious gun.

We were concerned that SS would have a fit when it was time to go home. Thankfully she has consistently been hanging around waterparks for four years now. SS knows there's going to be a next time. She is right, because we are hoping to get one more trip to Palm Springs before Soak City closes for the season. SS is our little water rat.  Before leaving the park SS made sure to use her Tooth Fairy money, with more of ours to purchase a Lego set. Because our child has never had a Lego set. We ate our leftovers from Saturday's dinner in the back of the van with the AC on high. It pays off to have a van and only one child. It's not the first time we have folded the back seats to have a picnic away from the oppressive heat.  We were home before six, because although we can DVR, there's no way P was going to miss Breaking Bad. I had a great time during my birthday weekend.  To keep up the pretense that it was about me P bought me an RD D2 key chain. Life's good.

SS at the entrance of her first big girl ride. She complained all the way to the top, even professing a fear of heights. We were relieved that she really enjoyed the experience.

It really worries us how at ease she is shooting at people.  It didn't help that people, some carrying little kids, kept walking in front of SS to get wet. One lady went over to SS and guided her aim, I was about to get up when I realized that the woman wanted SS to get her small daughter wet. We had a crack up moment when a very busty woman got in front of SS and our girl got her right between her huge breasts. SS is a breast girl and we were embarrassed when she was giggling like a fool at her good shot and fortune. No worries for P though, not only does he get the breast obsession, he reminded me that we can always pretend we are not with SS. 

Too bad that Legoland/Legoland Waterpark season passes are obscenely expensive, because this raft ride was our favorite.  It slides slowly and does not tip over on landing.