Adventures in transcontinental travel

Well, we're home! And we're all still one big happy family...

Sam was one fantastic traveler, I am proud to report. I was actually musing on our return flight that it's nice to know I am raising a seasoned traveler considering how much time I spend airborne myself.

Seriously, he slept a good portion of both nearly-six-hour flights, then played and watched Thomas DVDs fairly happily the rest of the time. I don't think he was any more restless as we started to get close to home than many of the adults on our flights. He was also the "Welcome to Philadelphia" entertainment when we landed at home. He is not old enough to realize that planes, trucks, trains, helicopters, etc. are not all paying personal visits to him from his favorite Noggin or Sprout shows. He screamed that the "Troublesome Trucks" and "Big Jake" were outside our plane when we landed. He yelled hello and waved excitedly for a full 10 minutes or so. Once we convinced him that we could get off the plane to get another look, he waited in our row of seats and served as a deputy flight attendant, waving and saying "Buh-bye" to everyone we was deplaning before us.

I wish I'd had a video camera handy, too, to capture the moment when he decided that the little aerodynamic tip to each wing on the aircraft was actually Eeyore perched out there, following us to "See-Adam," his name for Seattle.

Our time in Canada was a lot of fun, but quite hot. So much for escaping the 100-degree New Jersey heat. We did lots of the touristy stuff that Victoria has to offer that you just don't do as a childless couple. I think one of the highlights was visiting Butterfly World. We got some great pictures and one Sam decided not to be terrified of the butterflies, he had a blast chasing them around and splashing in the puddles of the simulated rainforest.




I think that this is one of the vacations that will forever live in my memory. I originally thought it would be all about our first family vacation, which it was, but it was also about spending really quality time with Rob's aunt, who's just really wonderful to be around. Given her age and how rarely we're able to make it out to Victoria, I was conscious the whole time we were with her how special it was to spend that time with her. She took the week off from work to be with us, and we did everything from playing solitaire side-by-side while the boys napped to feeding seals at Oak Bay Marina to hosting a family BBQ at her house. I certainly hope that we'll be out there again while she still feels up to touring with a toddler, but I'm really glad to have lived in the moment while we were there. I just wished we lived closer to her so that we had more time together. She got such a kick out of Sam and he was totally bonded to her by the time we left. I saw the joy in her face when he'd run up to give her random hugs and said "I love you, Auntie Barbara" as we had to say goodbye.





Now that (I hope) I have the hang of the picture posting thing, I'll include a few other great pics from our first official Becker family vacation. These are the photos that I always daydreamed of having while trying to have kids, and now they're real!

And we're off...

First, I have no business whatsoever writing this post right now. I have the typical oh-no-I-have-more-work-to-do-than-can-ever-get-done-before-leaving-for-vacation dilemma going on today. Couple that with the fact that my laptop needs some serious surgery and is being shipped off to Corporate IT in the last FedEx collection of the day, meaning by 4 p.m., and you get my drift. Ahem. I should be working right now, not blogging about my first ever true Becker family vacation.

But, a very sweet coworker that I only know by phone and email right now has just informed me that she has a blog. Ever one to be distracted by more interesting things than the drafting of fundraising talking points, I jumped right over to Blogger to "see" her and her adorable kids. She has a post in there somewhere indicating that a fellow blogger keeps on her case so that her blog stays updated. I have no such person, but feeling the vicarious pressure, decided I should post. Heading off for our first trip as a family of three is a milestone that should be noted anyway.

I'm approaching this trip with a healthy mix excitement at all of the fun stuff we're sure to do in Victoria and fear that Sam will be the toddler from you-know-where as soon as we board a nonstop, transcontinental flight.

I also have vague memories of what the poor little guy, as well as his exhausted new parents, experienced last year when his time zones were shuffled. I can only imagine what sleeping in a strange house that lags three hours behind his own body clock will mean.

Assuming that we can weather the actual flight and all get at least some rest, I'm sure we'll have a blast doing all of the cool vacation stuff that you don't do (at least we didn't) until you have kids. We've been to British Columbia several times over the past 15 years, but this time, we'll be sure to hit places like the butterfly sanctuary and the tidepools.

I'll be sure to get back on the whole picture posting thing when we return.

Until then, we're off!

The musings of a two-year-old

Someone on the Holt adoption boards started a really cool thread about what you love about your kids at certain ages. I read it on a Saturday morning, so had more time than usual to ponder the subject. I couldn't believe how long a list I came up with of the recent things Sam does. Clearly I'm biased, but the kid has personality, that's for sure.

In keeping with what my original intent for this blog was anyway -- figuring out a way to capture such moments for posterity given that I'm deficient in the scrapbooking gene -- here goes...

Air guitar/air drums/air piano/Rock On! Not that we use our child as a puppet, but it is quite amusing what you can ask him to do on command. Ask him to play air guitar, and he does. He will also play air drums and air piano. You can end this little game by saying "Rock on!" and he does a two-year-old version of squirmy dancing and head banging.

Tunnels/brides If we come anywhere near a tunnel or bridge (and driving under highway signs count as bridges) Sam yells "Tunnel! (or Bidge, no "r") and holds up his arms and yells "WEEEEEEEEEE!" No idea where this came from, but passersby probably think we are all crazy since Rob and I now do it with him.

THOMAS Sam is obsessed. I don't see the charm, personally, but he's all about Thomas and his many train friends. He sleeps with the toys, asks for Thomas on TV nonstop and hums the theme song to himself.

"I LOVE MY DADDY/MOMMY!!!" Sam must be more comfortable with expressing his feelings lately, because he'll proclaim to anyone within a 5 block radius (the kid has some serious lungs) that he loves his mommy or daddy. Very cute, but odd that he thinks this phrase should be YELLED!

Faster Faster! Sam now tries to sing every song he knows as fast as he can. It's so funny. He can sing the Bob the Builder theme song in triple time.

All right? Ok? Poor Sam has had his fair share of germs over the past year. When he coughs or sneezes a lot, we ask "Are you alright? Are you ok?" Sam now asks us if we cough or sneeze -- or make any noise that could be construed as such -- "Awright, Mommy?" "Ok, Mommy?" He drops everything to make sure you're doing just fine.

"Night Night, Guys" Sort of like the Waltons, toddler style. When we put Sam down for a nap or for the night, he now yells as soon as we leave the room. He used to yell because he was upset. Now he screams, "Night Night, Guys!" and then addresses us each individually. He continues this little exchange, with us often responding from downstairs, for about 5 full minutes.

Doin'?? About 100 times a day, Sam asks us what we're doing. It comes out as, "Doin' Mommy?"

Massachusetts, Alabama! I travel a lot. Sam is learning his state names as I go to new places. He loves to say Massachusetts, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

RELAY!! I know it's a cult, but the kid recognizes the logo!!

I find Sam amusing, can you tell?!