my little ray of sunshine

The flight went well yesterday. I'd ordered a GoGo Kids Travelmate a few weeks ago in preparation for our trip here in October, because I wanted to check it out and make sure it worked and have time to return it otherwise, and it's a good thing as we then had it to use this time. We used it to roll D's car seat (Britax Marathon) through the airport. I'd read reviews that it won't fit through some security checkpoints, but it worked fine on our departure (San Jose airport, we laid the whole thing facing downwards on the belt). The handle could feel a bit more sturdy, but it seems good enough (a little wobbly, but not like it'll break). Overall, it was very very very nice to have!

We didn't buy D a seat for our flight out here, so we gate checked the car seat (with the travelmate attached to it). No problems there. Turns out we magically had an empty seat next to us, which was AWESOME. D spent a good part of the 3.5 hr flight sitting in that empty seat, playing with the seat belt. He was in pretty good spirits the entire time, getting slightly cranky towards the end (by then he'd missed both naps that day). Mom, Philip, and Daddy were all there to greet us at the airport, and D went right to my mom and let her hold him till we got out to the cars. I think that made her day.

He slept a bit in the car driving home, then was up again and kinda wired as he rediscovered my mom's house and all the toys and people and animals all there to play with him. My step-brother and his wife came over for dinner last night, bringing their 6 months old daughter with them. It was our first time to get to see little Mira, who is precious and adorable. D at first didn't pay too much attentioon to his cousin, but then they sat at the table together for dinner and they kept reaching over top each other and touching hands. Seriously, adorable. After dinner we played outside a bit, where D became infatuated first with Ryan's old Barbie Jeep (like the kind he can ride in and actually goes), and then with her old (also pink) bike, that's just small enough so when sitting on it his legs can touch the pedals. We eventually got him down to sleep, at around 9pm Texas time (his usual 7pm bedtime back home) and he had a little trouble but not too much. He thankfully then slept through till 7 am today, with one wake up at 6 where Zach put him back to sleep for a bit longer.

I got up with D this morning, and before too long Mom heard us and got up, too. At one point he heard Joey (the dog) barking outside and he looked up, walked towards the back door and started saying "No! No, no no no!" I suppose still remembering our scoldings of Molly in Tahoe. He then got super excited to see Joey and the cats so then we played outside a bit, demanding to ride on the bike again as soon ads he saw it. Mom, the wonderful grandmother that she is, obliged him happily.

It feels really good to be here right now. And it feels so good to know that D brings my mom so much joy. He's like a little ray of sunshine that I bring along with me, leaving smiles and happy hearts along the way wherever he goes.