The Frog

The idea of taking the girls out to Cali by myself originated when Dave decided he was going to go to Haiti with a buddy on a dental mission trip. The thought of staying home for 10 days alone with the crazies was a bit much for me (remember Annelise used to be crazy), so somehow I thought traveling out to CA with them to visit my folks might be a better option. A couple months ago Dave decided not to go on the trip, but I had already planted the idea in my family's mind, so it was hard to go back on it.

I psyched myself out and survived the trip out there. Fortunately Annelise has chilled a bit, so she did well on the 4+ hour flight. I managed to keep HC occupied by allowing her to watch the Muppet Movie 1.5 times. Please note that flying with 2 young children is not all it is cracked up to be. I strolled through security with my double stroller, Hadleigh's carseat on my back like a backpack, and my carry-on on my wrist. Security was, what it always is...quickly take out all liquids: read bottles, sippy cups, tylenol, yogurt, applesauce and many other food items that might be needed on the trip, throw in tray...remember the portable DVD player before security guard yells at you. Remove everyone's shoes, including your own. Put carseat through xray machine while also holding baby in arms and another baby hanging on your leg...and somehow fold up stroller and convince security guard dude that it will not fit through xray and to ahnd check it. Walk through...now pack up in some sensible way all the things you just unpacked, put all shoes back on, unlock stroller, put carseat back on back...calm all children down and walk to the elevator and to the train where you cram on, saying excuse me (like a broken record) and try not to side-swipe people with the enormous carseat that is strapped to your back/butt. Fortunately I had some people help me along the way, and managed to get the steward to carry the carseat onto the plane for me...don't know how I would have managed that on my own.

The main point is that we made it to CA in a fairly sane state of mind.

My dad has thing with frogs. For as long as I can remember whenever we would get a present of some sort he would always say something about it being a frog. This became a family joke and my brothers and I began to buy him little frogs, so he now has quite a collection. Last year when he had his gall bladder surgery the ladies at the church office got him this frog that sings, "You're Unbelievable" while shaking his hips. One of dad's fav frogs is a stuffed Kermit which has velcro on his hands and feet. This enables him to be placed in many different positions. Someone gave this to Dad some 20 years ago when he was in the hospital, and I always remember it hanging on the trapeze that sits over his bed.

Hadleigh fell in love with Kermit (especially since she loves the Muppets) and you can see how she would walk around with him. She asked for him to be placed like this. So CUTE!