HIGH TRAFFIC AREA

Since "Auntie" One Fried left, Granny Ernestine has come and gone, Jack's post-graduate track athletes Chris and Danielle (a.k.a. Nell) have moved to town to train, and Vanessa's big cousin Corey from Rhode Island has come for her spring break. We've done many things and taken many photos and video clips, but none of us has been posting much on the blog. Well, Chris started his own blog... see it, here:

http://www.randoincali.blogspot.com/

Granny came to help me get out of the house. She comes once a month to see her littlest grandchild, which is such a huge help to me. I get out of the house to go to my meetings, and this month I have a huge amount of volunteer work to do.

Vanessa starts every morning with calisthenics - climbing up the kitchen chair and onto the tabletop and back down again and again and again - so we hit the ground running. Granny is an old pro - having seven children and nine other grandchildren - but I did catch her stretched out for a rest after being in full monitor mode for a few hours. You have to bend over at the waist and run around to babysit Vanessa.

Luckily we live steps away from a park with a giant sandbox, a large grassy field, a slide, swings, and climbing apparatus, and lots of dogs to bark at. Nanners loves the park. She's now old enough to spend hours there, if her adult can take it. Sometimes there are other toddlers there, which is extra special. Otherwise, we bring Milo and Max almost always follows, too. In fact, bringing Vanessa to the park creates a bit of a spectacle, as she brings her whole entourage. Between the baby, the dog and the cat, we draw many, many comments and exclamations.

Vanny's current interests include climbing, sliding, swinging, digging, exploring, hiking, throwing, swimming, running, talking, barking, concentrating, dancing and occasionally singing.

We live in a college milieu, I guess you could say. It doesn't hurt that we also have about 360 days of sunshine per year and a nearby swimming hole we like to call the Pacific Ocean. These things factor together to give us a lifestyle of fun.

She doesn't surf yet, but we feel sure Baby Nessa will pick up the art of hanging her monkey toes over the edge of a longboard in no time. Red-headed cousin Corey was "up" after one hour of lessons. Daddio gets home from work and she says, "Can we go surfing?" which nearly melts the old man's heart, let me tell you. "Someday I hope to hear my daughter say that," he told her.