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Travelling Kiddo
Feb. 28th, 2011 09:14 amLast Wednesday we went to Florida to see the family, most specifically my sister and Tristan, her adorable new wee boyo. I was a bit nervous about taking Gracie on the plane, though not too much so, since her iPad helps remarkably with the whole sitting still thing. Jet Blue is very lovely about giving gate passes so people like me can have people like Mom come help wrangle people like Gracie through security - also, I wish the Freemasons or someone would buy the White Plains airport so we can keep it this wonderful uncrowded secret that no everyone knows about. Like, members only - as long as I get to be a member, of course.
Anyway, she was fantastic. Both in the airport and on the plane. She listened, she held my hand, the only fussing she did was toward the end of the flight, and I would expect that of any five-year-old. I didn't even bother bringing the stroller. She held my hand and walked without complaint through the airport, and even carried her own carry-on bag (I packed her school backpack with snacks and her favourite toys). She was VERY excited to see Grandpa Adventure, and when she spotted him at the airport, she ran right to him and gave him a big hug, which I think made his week. He got her a car seat for his car, and had the pool warm and waiting.
We stayed in Dad's big guest room - enormous, really. It's like a mini-apartment. It has a king-sized bed which made Gracie VERY happy, since she got to sleep with Mama (she has been wanting to lately, but I told her no, big girls go to sleep in their own beds, even though she still comes into mine most nights. I told her we get to share the big bed because we were on vacation, and really, it was nice for me too - big enough so I didn't get feet in my face or anything). Two out of three nights we went to restaurants with Gracie (one night she got babysat). The first time she was a dream, and the second time she was a bit fidgety even with the iPad, but it was very crowded and distracting. She swam every day at least once, often without her floaty vest (I watched like a hawk). She enjoyed exploring Dad's house, and the room we stayed in even had a bunch of SpongeBob recorded on the tivo by his other grandkid. Dad's wife (whom she took to calling "Nana" right away) bought her some small dolls, and she played with them a lot, having adventures she made up (my favourite was the Princess Tea Party, in which the Prince had to stay in the kitchen and cook for the Princesses. I swear I didn't influence this, though hoo boy did I get a kick out of it). She was chatty with everyone, answering direct questions and conversing with words and phrases of her own. Lots of typical five-year-old behaviour, and I can't recall a single tantrum while we were there. Maybe she behaved well around my dad because she doesn't see him often, so there wasn't danger of her regressing into the last behaviours she had around him. Whatever.
Thursday night and Friday morning she got babysat by a lovely counselor from camp who is at school down there, and she behaved beautifully. She was VERY excited to meet the baby, and cooed over him a lot without being too grabby. There is a huge playground near Dad's house, and we took her there twice. Honestly, the second time I brought her there, she was more difficult. It was crowded, lots of kids, and a couple of different families had brought McDonald's, and Gracie kept bugging them for french fries, and trying to play with their toys, and not listening too well when I told her not to. She knows she's so cute that more often than not, people will get suckered into giving her the things she wants, even though I am strict about it and make her say thank you, and not accept too much even when it's offered.
The trip home wasn't as good as the trip down, but it was a crowded airport and flight (though the guy sharing our row was friendly and gave Gracie his window seat), and she didn't want vacation to be over. Didn't help that I woke up with a migraine that it took two Imitrex to vanquish. We'll use that as a segue into the non-Gracie stuff, which I will put under a cut for the benefit of the uninterested (there's not a lot).
( Me stuff )
Anyway, it was a lovely trip. Now that we're back, I MUST get back to my diet (and exercise, though if I pry myself out of the house today it will be because I need craft supplies, not kickboxing). Sunday it was back to business as usual, with our regular trip to the library and ice cream. It's funny, when Gracie does bad, I tell her, but mostly what gets her upset is if I get upset. She spends a lot of time telling Mama to make her happy face, and cute as she is, I make sure she has listened to the behaviour correction before I smile for her. She's doing so well, growing by leaps and bounds. I am very proud.
Anyway, she was fantastic. Both in the airport and on the plane. She listened, she held my hand, the only fussing she did was toward the end of the flight, and I would expect that of any five-year-old. I didn't even bother bringing the stroller. She held my hand and walked without complaint through the airport, and even carried her own carry-on bag (I packed her school backpack with snacks and her favourite toys). She was VERY excited to see Grandpa Adventure, and when she spotted him at the airport, she ran right to him and gave him a big hug, which I think made his week. He got her a car seat for his car, and had the pool warm and waiting.
We stayed in Dad's big guest room - enormous, really. It's like a mini-apartment. It has a king-sized bed which made Gracie VERY happy, since she got to sleep with Mama (she has been wanting to lately, but I told her no, big girls go to sleep in their own beds, even though she still comes into mine most nights. I told her we get to share the big bed because we were on vacation, and really, it was nice for me too - big enough so I didn't get feet in my face or anything). Two out of three nights we went to restaurants with Gracie (one night she got babysat). The first time she was a dream, and the second time she was a bit fidgety even with the iPad, but it was very crowded and distracting. She swam every day at least once, often without her floaty vest (I watched like a hawk). She enjoyed exploring Dad's house, and the room we stayed in even had a bunch of SpongeBob recorded on the tivo by his other grandkid. Dad's wife (whom she took to calling "Nana" right away) bought her some small dolls, and she played with them a lot, having adventures she made up (my favourite was the Princess Tea Party, in which the Prince had to stay in the kitchen and cook for the Princesses. I swear I didn't influence this, though hoo boy did I get a kick out of it). She was chatty with everyone, answering direct questions and conversing with words and phrases of her own. Lots of typical five-year-old behaviour, and I can't recall a single tantrum while we were there. Maybe she behaved well around my dad because she doesn't see him often, so there wasn't danger of her regressing into the last behaviours she had around him. Whatever.
Thursday night and Friday morning she got babysat by a lovely counselor from camp who is at school down there, and she behaved beautifully. She was VERY excited to meet the baby, and cooed over him a lot without being too grabby. There is a huge playground near Dad's house, and we took her there twice. Honestly, the second time I brought her there, she was more difficult. It was crowded, lots of kids, and a couple of different families had brought McDonald's, and Gracie kept bugging them for french fries, and trying to play with their toys, and not listening too well when I told her not to. She knows she's so cute that more often than not, people will get suckered into giving her the things she wants, even though I am strict about it and make her say thank you, and not accept too much even when it's offered.
The trip home wasn't as good as the trip down, but it was a crowded airport and flight (though the guy sharing our row was friendly and gave Gracie his window seat), and she didn't want vacation to be over. Didn't help that I woke up with a migraine that it took two Imitrex to vanquish. We'll use that as a segue into the non-Gracie stuff, which I will put under a cut for the benefit of the uninterested (there's not a lot).
( Me stuff )
Anyway, it was a lovely trip. Now that we're back, I MUST get back to my diet (and exercise, though if I pry myself out of the house today it will be because I need craft supplies, not kickboxing). Sunday it was back to business as usual, with our regular trip to the library and ice cream. It's funny, when Gracie does bad, I tell her, but mostly what gets her upset is if I get upset. She spends a lot of time telling Mama to make her happy face, and cute as she is, I make sure she has listened to the behaviour correction before I smile for her. She's doing so well, growing by leaps and bounds. I am very proud.
