How to Conquer Boredom, by Maddie

YAWN...the late afternoon certainly can drag. Nothing to do...snack eaten by Iain...surely there's some solution...

The Dad! What a guy. He says: how about reading? He should work on Sesame Street. They're always pushing that kind of "learning" and "growing," too. But he's ok. Maybe reading would be a good idea.
Let's read this book. (You can't let the grownups pick out the books. They always gravitate towards silly stuff like history. Booooring.)

Ooo! That book was great. I luvs reading.

Maddie Says: Wow You Eat A Lot

Iain arrived in time for Maddie's post-nap snack. Unfortunately (for Maddie) Iain is a snack machine. He at the yogurt, he ate the berries, he disdained the tomatoes. Maddie ate tomatoes. The panda doesn't eat.


After, Iain was feeling saucy. He played with Maddie's toys, checked out her front yard, and stepped gingerly around her Dad. Given that her dad says that when Maddie's a teenager she can visit her boyfriends "in the basement," I think Iain has a healthy sense of trepidation. Maddie's Dad is serious business when it comes to his Precious Lady.

And isn't she precious? She showed Iain how to play with sorting toys, how to carry a handbag (one needs a wallet with one's identification cards, for example. This is very important.), and how to play kitchen:

You want to make sure that when you sautee the chicken legs you already have the milk in the dishwasher and the bread slices in the oven. Otherwise things don't come out at the same time. Also, keeping your wooden spoon in the microwave really helps with prep.

Maddie lives in The World's Cutest Bungalow. Unfortunately, the neighbors fall far short of ideal (intrusive, maniacal and larcenous, anyone?) and the sewage pipes need work. So I doubt Maddie will stay that long. But for the moment, her little nest was a welcome spot for Iain to spend a pleasurable hour. When we left he was saying "Maddie House!" and Chris called to say that Maddie was sitting in her green chair chanting "Iain! Iain! Iain!"

Sooo Tie Tie

We spent the afternoon in West Hollywood with Miss Maddie. It was great fun (many pics to follow). After snacks, play, two diaper changes, and a certain amount of shop-talk from The Staff, we took off for Brentwood to visit with The Mom's friend Joan.

More on that later, when The Staff is better rested. For now, all I have to say is: I totally horked in the car in Beverly Hills. In rush hour traffic. After eating blackberries. Rock on, dudes!

Pork!

After we dropped Daddy at the office, Iain and I checked out the park inside the neighborhood. Yes, because we've become so lazy that we think the park 5 minutes down the road is too far.

Anyway, Iain played in the picnic table part (which he called "boat!"), then peeked through the windows at me:


Then it was time to go back for snack and nap. Post-nap we're going to lunch with Daddy, then up to LA to party with Maddie, then to dinner with The Mom's friend Joan.

Tomorrow we leave our comfy nest in Irvine and truck up to Pasadena. We have plans for lunch with Megan, a visit to the Children's Museum, and (on Saturday) more dim sum and a birthday party. Busybusybusy.

Did I Mention the Back Yard?

It's nice out here, y'all. Nice. And it's not just the pool and the hot tub and the fountain lights and the tables, chairs, grill, and flowers.

Like the little lovely below:

It grows along the fences, and eventually it'll cover them in a blanket of lavender.

Oh, and what's this?
Pomegranates!!
Iain was fascinated when I pulled out some of the kernels to show him.

Today, we: drove up to LA to see Maddie, did not see Maddie, took a lovely tour of Inglewood, popped by the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, then drove back down while discussing (in incredible detail) our experience flying out here. Iain's obsessed with airplanes. Obsessed.

We also calculated how many fruits Iain ate today: apples, nectarines, grapes, oranges, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, and tomatoes (technically a fruit). The fruit world trembles.

Toyzzz!

OK, we went to the doctor. It took more time to fill out the paperwork (for me and Iain) than to be seen. Seriously - I handed in the paperwork, and 1.5 miliseconds later a nurse came for me. She took our BP and temperature, then said "ok, the doctor will be in soon."

Soon turned out to mean: before the door could completely close. He looked in Iain's ears - clean. He looked in mine - clean. He listened to us breathe, then told us we're fine (just a virus) and that he was going to prescribe some antibiotics just in case we got worse in a few days.

Bam! Big, big kudos to Irvine Urgent Medical Care. Friendly, efficient, and flexible. Oh, and good parking.


Then we stopped at Target to get me new jammies (my jammies sort of...broke this morning) and fill our prescriptions. Then Charles said, "let's see if they have anything fun for Iain. I think he's a little bored." The results appear in this post. At some point I know I said, "We're becoming impulsive."
Iain calls this the "MenMiss" ie Cement Mixer. Below, the Scoop figurine that came with the new Bob the Builder DVD. Oh, didn't I mention the DVD's? While I waited for our prescription, Charles said, "I'll go check out the movie section."

Here, cement mixer meets backhoe. Anything could happen, people. Anything.

At lunch, Iain expressed his displeasure that we'd left his Airport book at home. So while we were shopping we made sure the aeronautical vehicles got their fair share.

The one below, as you can see, flirted with certain death. Moments after this picture was taken, Iain dropped it straight into the hot tub.

It's quite pretty, and I don't see any lasting damage from its dip in the drink.

There are more. Really. We also got a five-pack of matchbox trucks (tow truck, van, pickup truck, flatbed, and a little tanker), the second Sesame Street vintage box set, and...Thomas the Tank Engine 3 DVD set.

WE ARE SUCKERS.

But he's a good boy. So what's wrong with a little spoiling?

Yes, I AM Bitter, thanks for asking.

We're waiting for Iain to wake up from his nap. When he does, we're all heading down the road so I can see a doc-in-the-box. Stupid cold. Stupid congestion. Stupid kleenex. Stupid.

There's nothing awesome-er than being sick while away from home. I recommend it to you heartily.