Oh the places we go!

Today grandma told me that we were going to go to a ranch and pick apples! Apples?! OH BOY!

Oh boy was right! it turns out that in Gilroy (city) it was going to be 99 degrees! OH BOY! But we weren't going to let the heat stop us from enjoying our trip to "Gizditch Ranch"


I saw tractors, and barns, and TREES! OH did I see trees! AND before we started picking-Grandma treated us to some fresh homemade apple raspberry a la mode and double berry dutch pies! Momma said it was really good but all I wanted was the "a la mode"







Next I played in the haystacks and picked apples (off the ground) and as it was getting too hot to be outside, we bought some strawberries and headed back to the car.


Just a few minutes later we arrived at Sierra Azul (Blue Mountian) Garden. It was a small garden area with lots of funny scupltures! MY favorites were the "Fu-dogs" (dog statues)!

The Joys of Being a Grandma (and grandchild)!!!

Grandma was so happy to drive us back to her house! We spent the whole afternoon playing with blocks, building towers, reading books, and playing with a ball Grandma got for me.

Do you know what else Grandma got?! She got me crayons and a coloring book. I guess it's been a while since Grandma has had children- you better break out the magic eraser!

After going to bed I woke up and we got to watch all new shows. Grandma has different channels than Momma and Papa so I have been able to enjoy "Little Einsteins" and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". I told Momma she needs to get these channels!

After breakfast we headed to a place called Mt. Madonna. It is a small mountain we drove up to and we got to see white deer! SO PRETTY!





After that we went to the "ruins". It was an old mansion a very rich man lived in in the 1800's. He owned most of the cattle in the area. (Mommy cant remember his name! Ooppss). We sat in the old windows and walked up and down the old steps. BUT my favorite part was "raking" all the leaves with my trusty stick!



Next we headed to Capitola Beach! Momma told me that she wouldnt take me to the beach because it is dirty. She calls it the toilet bowl! BUT this beach is different she said. The water was a pretty blue and the sand was so pretty and soft (and HOT!). What a beautiful place!





....oh look! ROCKS!







Next we went for a little stroll around the town and Grandma took us to a little shop to get locally made icecream. AND you'll never guess the flavor I picked! Polar Bear Banana and Honey!!! Who could pass THAT up!

4am comes real early sometimes.

Goodness me oh my! Mommy complains a lot about the fact that it took me so long to sleep through the night. Well- please explain to me why Momma and Pappa was up at 4am this morning!?

You see- momma stayed up til midnight the night before packing and planning the trip out to see Grandma. Finally she couldnt keep her eyes openned and she went to bed. 4 hours later she was back up and continued to pack up all those boxes(suitcases)with our clothing.

Soon enough, all the boxes were filled and lined up to go! And we headed to the airport. It was still a little early for me to be up and out of the house so I had my pancake "to-go"

When we arrived at the airport, we dropped off the boxes and head to our gate. I watched as mommy put my stroller and diaper bag into a x-ray machine. Next was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen happen to mommy.

A man in a blue suit had my diaper bag in his hands and asked mommy if it was hers. She said yes and they asked her to step aside because they had to go through the bag. Papa put me in the stroller and went off the the side.

The man in the blue suit told mommy that they had to go through the diaper bag because it wasnt clear what all was in there from the xray machine. So one by one he began to pull items out and swipe them with a circle shaped cloth. Mommy packed the diaper bag so well, and she knew where everything was incase she needed someone for me quickly. I knew momma was going to be upset that this man was taking eerything out.

A few minutes later an alarm goes off and the man in the blue suit tells momma she needs to stand off to the side some more and that she couldnt move or touch anything on the table where the diaper bag was. He gets on a "walkie talkie" and calls for more security.

A lady comes over to momma and informs her that she is going to have to have a full body search. Mommy had to stand in funny positions and a lady used her hands to make sure mommy wasnt hidding anything. Mommy told me that next time she goes to the airport we will not wear a skirt again!

After swipping the diaper bag again and even going through each diaper wipe, next a another man in a blue suit came over and momma had to open up all the containers and my sippy cup so they could test them. Finally the man in the blue suit put everything back in my diaper bag and momma finally was done. Momma said that my bag tested positive for explosives and that is why they did all that. Explosives?!?!? Oh my goodness. The only thing explosive in the diaper bag would be...well...my dirty diapers!



NOW- onto the airplane itself! How exciting! Momma really thought it would be terrible and that I would cry the whole time. Me? Cry? Nah!

No one sat next to us, so I even got my own seat! But I sat in momma's lap for the take off. It was bumpy and momma held on real tight, but after a minute or two I was up in the clouds! Momma thought I'd be more excited about it, but I found out that these airplans have tables on the back of the chairs...now THAT'S exciting!!!!



We colored on the airplane. We read a book. We sang songs. BUT what I liked most was reading about what to do incase of an emergency. I loved the picture of the airplane in the ater. Mommy told me that it wasnt going to happen- but it sure did look like a lot of fun to come sliding down that yellow slide!


After 2 hours we landed. It was just as bumpy a landing as it was taking off, and boy does mommy told on tight! Everyone kept saying that I should drink water when taking off and landing for my ears, but I didnt want to and in fact- it didnt bother me at all.

So off the plane, in the stroller, and back into another line we go. Only a few minutes later and we were boarded another flight. Mommy told me that this one was going to be very very long and that I should nap. NAP?! Oh who has time for a nap when there is a table on the back of the chair infront of me?!?!

We got lucky again and on this flight no one sat next to me again! Maybe because I felt the need to poop as soon as we boarded.... but I am not sure ;)

And after a nap and 4 hours we finally landed in San Jose, California. Momma said we were very very far from home and that Grandma was just around the corner.

After nearly 7.5 hours I can finally walk. Walk? Nah- it was time to run. And I did just that. I ran throughout the loby and the terminal. Momma wasnt too happy about it because in the morning, right as we were going to board the frist airplane- her flip flop broke. Mommy was very funny walking about the airport with only one shoe ;)

Papa finally picks me up and as we turn a corner- there she is! GRANDMA!


HI Grandma, we arrived!

Go see grandma, airplane?

So this week has been crazy! After Irene (hurricane) came and left- momma had lots of things to pick up in the yard and of course the shed and garage to clean out and pick up.

This week momma has also brought some very big boxes on wheels (suitcases) into the front room and told me that we were going to see grandma.

See grandma?! I run over to the tv. There is where I see grandma, why do we need all those funny looking boxes?

Momma explained that we need to go on an airplane to go see grandma to get a hug. Grandma lives all the way across the country momma said, in California.

You mean, that I am going to be up in the air? In the clouds? On and AIRPLANE!?

Whenever we'd see an airplane I would point to the sky. I love airplanes!!

Mommy isnt too sure about the whole airplane trip. Mommy worries way too much!! I'll be just fine! Right?!?!

I survived hurricane Irene!

Okay, so where is my "I survived hurricane Irene 2011" shirt?!?!

Can you believe I've been through a hurricane at only 20 months?! Wasn't MY idea- I just went along with what ever mommy and papa said.

Hurricane Irene seemed like it came too quickly. At first the news wasn't too concerned about Irene affecting the east coast too much- but that quickly changed! As the week went on it was clear that we were going to be in Irene's path. The big question was how much were we going to be in "her" way!

Momma and Papa went back and forth as to whether we were going to leave or stay. Momma said that she'd stay if it was just her, but because I was here they needed to think what was best for me. How nice of you momma!

Our local area had places that were required to evacuate, but not our area. And Momma and Papa decided that we'd head to Mema's house since it was "safer" (not surrounded by trees and no flooding) there.

Miss Irene (hurricane) was planning to hit our area in the afternoon/evening on Saturday. As time went on the news reported that Irene was only going to be a category 1 hurricane. SO momma and papa (momma mostly, papa wanted to leave!) thought it would be just fine to leave the morning of.

So the morning of came and guess what!?!? Yep- we went under a tornado warning! EK! SO momma didn't want to be driving with the chance of something happening. SO we were stuck at our house.

Leena could have cared less for the whole thing!

Fenton hated getting wet.

I just wanted to go outside! It was so boring being stuck inside all day long!


As the day went on, we played and watched tv. It' rained and it was a little windy. When I went down for my nap the news reported that Miss Irene was moving away from the coast and more out to sea. OH thank goodness! ;) We thought we would be just fine, SURE we'd get rains, and SURE we'd get winds. BUT it wasn't anything we couldn't handle...until.....


Right before we get "hit" by the hurricane, the news was reporting that because of the wind speed/the timing/rains/ and the high tide about to come in- it meant we were going to have tidal flooding. Last time we had tidal flooding I wasn't born yet but momma said that we lost a few things (like the lawn mower and Christmas tree, etc). So in between the rain drops momma and papa went outside and moved things from the floor of the shed and garage up to higher ground. And they just prayed that the tidal flooding wouldn't be too bad.


BOY- was I surprised when momma looked outside and saw the water starting to come up from the marsh. Our high tide was around 9pm. It was only 5pm. What was ever more surprising is when she looked outside 30 minutes later and the water was at the back porch. PANIC TIME!


Momma started moving things off the floors and just lost it! She began to cry and informed me and the dogs and Papa that she was going to do whatever it took to sell the house as soon as the whole thing was over. Next she ran into the "ribbon room" and just started lifting ribbon racks and shelves off the ground and started boxing up all the items she could. Momma was acting CRAZY!

As for Papa and I...well...we just sat there and built towers, read some books and even watched "The Monkey King" (from Ni Hao Ki Lan). Papa told momma not to worry and there was nothing we could do about it. Papa was right- but momma kept going. I don't think I ever saw momma move so fast!

We watched, we waiting, we hoped, and thankfully the winds began to change as the hurricane was moving further out to sea. As Irene traveled away the water seemed to hold tight at the steps. It wasn't high tide yet, but we began to have more hope.

It was almost 9pm, and I was still awake! I think I like these hurricane things, I get to stay up late!

Momma finally put me to bed and gave me an extra hug and a bunch of kisses. Outside my window is a rather large oak tree. Momma was a little worried, so she kept going out in the wind and rain to check to see how the branches were moving. Silly momma- it was okay.

And finally the water began to go down! And when I woke up all that was left was a soggy ground and a yard covered in branches! We were every lucky to have no real damage. Our shed and garage flooded (again). We lost a few memories and we have have a few things we have to throw away. BUT momma is very thankful that it didnt get into the house.

Hurricane season is not over yet- and Momma even said that there is another out in the ocean and she just hopes it stays far, far away!