SUMMER TRAVELS

Well guess who has been on vacation? Yes indeed: Vanessa Ho Ho has been touring around. She took us to Santa Cruz for a family reunion over the 4th of July. It was great fun, and many new things were experienced.

For example, she met her Uncle Bobby, Auntie Cindy, Uncle Timmy, cousins Valerie and David, and "Uncle" Martin. She got to go swimming for the first time, sample watermelon for the first time, let Mama get a mani-pedi for the first time (thank you, Auntie Susan!), "ate" outside at the Crow's Nest, and she even tried day care for the first time. Woo hoo!

Swimming was a hit. July 4th was a scorcher but the kiddie pool was closed, so Daddio took Van to the big girl pool. Let me just note that although we of the fairer sex have great issues with how we look in our summer swimsuits, Daddio has always maintained that all you need is a big smile and joy for the water to look good. I will suggest that, for her first foray into the pool, Nessers looked very cute for the camera. Sure, she was dressed like a boy with a few rolls, a regular diaper that weighed about 14 lbs. and a new swim hat that didn't fit her ginormous head, but hey! she had fun!

Afterward, Ness got her first bath in the sink, to get all the chlorine and sunscreen off that gorgeous little birthday suit.

Mid-week we zipped home to make Nesser's 6 month appointment for vaccinations. See Nestle examine her pediatrician, and demonstrate what her Dad calls "a natural ability with the V-sit" (quite possibly my favorite Nanners photo). She's off the chart with the height of a 9 month old, the weight of an 11 month old and the head circumference of a 15 month old. "All brains!" Dr. Bravo said. No wonder she loves him.

That night, Vanny was sick with diarrhea, vomiting and a fever. The poor little dear! We naturally blamed her vaccinations. The doctor said nope - probably a bug, maybe even from their office (or day care, or the pool, or riding in the shopping carts, or putting every single thing off the floor back into her mouth...). Unfortunately, the day we got home from vacation, Daddio and I both got food poisioning. Or was it a bug? Later, when we could talk again, we found out six of us from the family got hit with it. [It reminded me of last summer's hyperemesis gravidarum days/ weeks/ months and why I was in and out of the hospital. Remember, Nessa?]

This was our last reunion at the old cabin. We said goodbye to 23 Mound... it's been sold to another family for their memory making. As a send-off, we had a wild card game our final night, then a nostalgic morning cleaning up, a goodbye tear or two, and a playful time on the porch the next morning. Vanessa got her time there, too! Thank you, Granny!