blue skies and ultraviolet rays* January 2, 2008
Despite last night’s post, the past week at my parents’ house was wonderful. While Sherman did refuse to nap most days (usually only surrendering during a walk in the stroller), he slept through the night every night, which is always our greatest stress (yes, even more than the plane). Our earliest morning was 5am, and our latest was 7:30 (yes, I made Train go in to make sure he was alive).
Christmas feels like an eternity ago, as it does each year when we get back from a week away. You already know, for the most part, what Sherman got for Christmas from us. We woke up Christmas morning to open gifts.
the play kitchen from JCPenney…it’s pretty low-tech and suprisingly engaging
a “Traveling to Grandma’s” suitcase with his name on it that had to be kissed
the Sesame Street Old School DVD which is going on Craigslist…it says it’s for nostalgic adults and not preschoolers, and they are right, because Big Bird doesn’t even look the same and it freaked my shit out…anyone interested?
another kiss for a personalized truck beach towel
After a few chores to get ready for our trip, we went out to Ditto’s house for Christmas lunch and gifts like we do every year. It was right during Sherman’s nap time, and he had slept a little late that morning so we knew he wouldn’t go down early, so we just let him sleep in the car. He was in a bad mood most of the day because of it, but oh well. Christmas Eve dinner was rearranged for our niece’s naptime, but let’s not get into that. Lunch was delicious and there were tons of gifts for us and for Sherman (the rest of the family exchanges/opens gifts at Christmas morning breakfast at my in-laws’, which is too early for us to get out there, since it’s about 45 minutes away).
Train’s sister Nanny got Sherman a Cabbage Patch doll that looks a lot like him. I actually considered getting him one but I wasn’t sure. I’m so glad she did. My Cabbage Patch had yarn hair. This one definitely does not. Our niece got one that looks like her too.
Do you see the pile of gifts on the right? Those were all for Sherman. Train had to move so that he could even see me.
My mother-in-law was so excited about this garage. The rocking chair is also Sherman’s.
Back at our house, the trampoline from Train’s parents.
Tuesday night we finished packing, sent our dogs to my co-workers’ house, and put together a couple of presents (the majority are still sitting in the front hall where they came in from my sister-in-law’s).
Wednesday morning our ride was picking us up at 7:30am. Sherman usually gets up at 7am, but of course that morning I had to wake him up. Train ran to McDonald’s to get us some breakfast which we ate in the car on the way to National. Our flight was at 10am. Train and I are notoriously early for flights, not because we want to be. The traffic is unpredictable in this area, so a ride to National could take anywhere from half an hour to an hour and a half, especially in the morning. Train would prefer to use the lower end of the traffic estimate and put us at the airport an hour before the flight. I too don’t want to be at the airport more than an hour before the flight, but I tend to be more pessimistic about the traffic, especially the day after Christmas. This time, I really thought we were doing well - I estimated an hour for the drive, to put us there at 8:30, an hour and a half before the flight. Of course, we were at the airport and THROUGH SECURITY by 8:30, with an hour and a half still to entertain Sherman.
Playing with his new trucks with Daddy. The calm before the f’ing storm of the f’ing century.
Our plan was for Train to board first, get Sherman’s car seat installed in his seat, and then I would come on at the last minute (even before Sherman, we like to be on the plane for the shortest time possible). Sherman was already tired, and I walked him around the terminal while our plane boarded slooooowwwwwly. Agonizingly slow. After about 15 minutes, he started to get pissed. He wanted to get out of his stroller, but he didn’t want me to hold him, and if I set him down he ran off screaming. He just screamed, and screamed, and screamed. I got to the point that I didn’t even care what people thought, I was already so fed up with the whole idea of traveling with a child (if you’ve done it, you know what I mean…it’s just such a cliche), no one being helpful, the exhaustion of trying to make sure you have everything. Sherman never acts like this, but how would anyone know that? He’s in an unfamiliar place totally off his routine and he was miserable.
Eventually I had to board the plane because I needed Train’s help with Sherman. The car seat that I was so excited about using on the plane was shockingly huge compared to the teeny tiny rows of USAir. I put Sherman in it and there was nowhere for his feet to go except into the seat of the guy in front of him. I have seen parents who let their toddlers scream and simply hold their feet so they can’t kick the seat in front of them, thinking that if they are going to scream at least they won’t physically bother anyone else. Of course this made Sherman angrier and I wasn’t getting a helpful vibe from the man in front of him (”Is he kicking you?” “Not yet.”). This whole time Sherman just screamed and cried and screamed and cried. On top of all this, our row didn’t have a window. I got him out of the seat and held him and so did Train. We still hadn’t taken off. It seemed like forever until we did; it was probably about 15 minutes. He continued to pitch a fit for another 10 minutes into the flight and after that he was fine. I broke out the DVD player and it paid for itself within the first 20 minutes. It was a lifesaver, especially with the new Elmo DVD my mom had given Sherman for Christmas. He ate Cheerios, and pretzels, and apple juice (what’s the one thing you’re not supposed to forget when traveling? extra clothes for your kid, right? yes, his diaper leaked and he spent the second half of the flight with no pants on).
So he sat in his car seat for about ten minutes total. We thought if we could get him to sit there for a little while he would fall asleep, but even when he wasn’t angry the temptation to kick the seat in front of him was too strong. Damn but those rows were narrow.
As he always does, Sherman fell asleep in his stroller as soon as we got off the plane. He slept through baggage claim and the shuttle ride to the car rental center and didn’t wake up until we put him in the car seat, but he fell back asleep pretty quickly. We had a nice Nissan Altima. We were on the road about 2pm and we made great time around Miami and called ahead an order to Sonny’s so we wouldn’t have to stop and Sherman could keep sleeping.
Once we were on the 18-mile stretch through the Everglades (before you hit the Keys), traffic was terrible. We would be stopped dead for long periods before we’d inch forward just to stop again. This was about when Sherman woke up but he was okay. We had gotten him some macaroni and cheese from Sonny’s and he ate some of that. He was content for a while and after that we pulled out the DVD player again.
After about a 45 minute delay, we were over the drawbridge and on our way down the Keys. The rest of the trip went well. We got to my parents’ house in Key West around 6pm. For the second time since moving to Key West in 2003, Mom had put up a Christmas tree. The first time they paid some astronomical amount for a tree brought in from North Carolina or Georgia. This year they ordered an artificial “corner tree” and it looked great. We opened a few Christmas presents and then we had a delicious spaghetti dinner.
It was wonderful to be at my parents’ house. Although it’s not where I grew up, it’s home because that’s where they live. It’s always cool and clean and waiting for us like a hotel room. Mom had a special plate and a Thomas the Tank Engine towel and washcloth for Sherman to use. Dinner was warm and filling and perfect. They had snacks and whole milk for Sherman. Ever since our first trip to Key West with him, they’ve had my aunt’s pack n’ play and baby monitor at the house so we don’t have to bring ours. They have a white noise machine like the one in Sherman’s room at home. It’s a place where we can relax even though we are traveling. Everything has been thought of and all we have to do is get there.
The one thing my parents don’t have is a bathtub. They have a large open shower stall that is all tiled, with a chest-high wall. Usually we give Sherman a bath in the sink but he’s finally gotten too big. We stopped up the drain in the shower and he had a shallow bath. Last time I tried that he smacked his head when he slipped. But he was careful this time and he loved the bath. It was like a spa pool, I was kind of jealous.
Sherman stayed up until 9, and then we did our regular routine of teeth brushing, stories, and singing. He went down without a peep. I had brought his stuffed animals, blankets, and sheet from his crib. Train and I decided to sleep on the pull out couch in the front room and give Sherman the guest bedroom to himself. I don’t sleep well when I share a room with him, mainly because every peep wakes me up, and this way we wouldn’t disturb him either.
the cure-all…mini M&Ms.
On Thursday afternoon we walked down to the park at Higgs Beach. Sherman has been the only child at day care for a few months now and it certainly shows. He is not as interested in nor as friendly with other children. He was kind of in a mood so he would be happy one minute and mad the next. Unfortunately this park also gets the afternoon sun.
After the park we walked all the way up to the ice cream parlor to get a banana split and they were inexplicably closed. I was so pissed. Only in Key West.
On Friday Mom and I tried to trick Sherman into napping by walking him around in the stroller and then transferring him to the Pack N Play. It didn’t work, and for the rest of the week he took his naps in the stroller if that’s where he fell asleep, even if we put him in his room.
It was hot down there. Some days it got into the 80s. I remember last Christmas having to dress Sherman in long sleeves a couple of days because it was cloudy and chilly. Not this time. It felt like June to me. Sherman spent every second outside that he could, and wore sandals or no shoes all week. My parents blew about three million bubbles. There are constantly planes overhead flying very low as they prepare for landing at the Key West airport (as the locals say each time they hear one, “here comes money”), so Sherman had a great time pointing them out. There are also tons of chickens and roosters (since they are protected in KW) and he really enjoyed watching and following them.
On Friday afternoon we all walked down to Sloppy Joes for a drink (and french fries). Sherman fell asleep on the way so we were able to enjoy ourselves for a while.
Sherman was here
On the way home he woke up and didn’t want to ride in the stroller any more so Train had to carry him the mile back to the house.
His first corn dog…he thought the stick went in the ketchup
On Saturday morning while Sherman was asleep, Train, Mom, and I went to an art fair at Bayview Park where a lot of local artists were selling their items. I got two prints (Mom bought me a seashell photo canvas for the new purple bathroom and I bought one just because I loved the colors). On Sunday Train and I went back and I ordered a print of a Bahia Honda bridge painting that is going to be shipped to us. It will look great in our bedroom.
That afternoon we took Sherman to the carnival at Truman Annex. We thought he would like some of the rides but we didn’t realize he would have to ride by himself. We did not make that mistake twice. He hated everything. He even hated when Mom and I rode the ferris wheel without him. It was hot, and he was miserable, and we spent about $25 in an hour.
this was the only thing I could ride with him
Sunday was the day Sherman was up at 5am. I don’t know what was up with him, but I laid quietly with him until about 6 and then we got some milk and the portable DVD player. That lasted until my mom got up at 7, and I went back to bed until 10. We wanted to see a photo exhibit of Old Key West at the Customs House so again we popped Sherman in the stroller, he fell asleep, and we enjoyed the exhibit in peace. This time he slept for two hours and we got halfway through lunch on the pier before he woke up.
Looking for birds. My mom taught him to call for the lizards while cupping his hands around his mouth so he did the same for the seagulls.
After lunch my parents and I took Sherman to the Aquarium. Our visit ended when he threw his pacifier into one of the turtle tanks (my dad got it out).
On Monday, New Years Eve, we stayed close to home. It was hot, and Sherman had more fun just puttering in the house and the backyard, so there was no point in dragging him out. Train and I went and had lunch at the Raw Bar and walked around Duval for a few hours, visiting some of the co-op galleries we had learned about at the art fair.
playing in Dad’s truck
organizing Mom’s pantry
Mom broke out the Fantasy Fest beads for New Years Eve…as I sat there with Sherman I started sorting them by color and I couldn’t stop!
Train and I were in bed by 9pm New Years Eve. We got up at 5am on Tuesday to head home. We had gotten another rental car on Monday (this time a Chevy Malibu) and we headed up the road around 5:30am. My plan had been to put Sherman in the car asleep. Unfortunately, I forgot that everything that needed to be packed, plus our clothes for the day, were in the room with him so I couldn’t help but go in there.
He stayed awake for the three hour trip up the Keys. When we stopped to get gas we took our time, and he played in the car some. When he had to get back in the seat he had a bag of Teddy Grahams that made him happy. Of course he fell asleep about 20 minutes before we got to the rental car return.
When you have a four hour drive to the airport, and only one road to take to get there, you definitely don’t want to mess around with cutting it close getting to the airport. Our flight was at noon, and by the time we had returned the car, taken the shuttle to the terminal, and gone through security, it was still only 10am. Sherman was in a terrible mood. Train walked him around in the stroller and after a while brought him back to the seats where I was sitting. There was a very nice family with three teenage girls sitting near us, and they thought Sherman was the greatest thing and he had a good time charming them. He literally ran back and forth from one side of the seating area to the other, just laughing and showing off for them. God bless them all, because it really improved his mood and got some energy out. I was desperate to keep him in a good mood before we boarded, since I think going on the plane mid-tantrum on the way down was a big part of the problem. For the last 20 minutes or so before we boarded, we took turns walking him in the stroller to settle him down.
We decided to gate check the car seat this time and it was a great decision. We had the three full seats to enjoy and Mr. Wiggleworm could do what he liked, plus we had a window this time. Another 20-month-old girl was seated in front of us with her parents, and a nice young couple was behind us and they laughed whenever Sherman turned around to talk to them. It was a great flight. It passed quickly and I even got to read my book for a while. Near the end, with all of his jumping around, Sherman conked his head on the armrest and got pretty upset, but it was only because he was tired. It was the last squall before he fell asleep on Train’s shoulder and didn’t wake up until we got to our house. Ditto and Wahoo picked us up at the airport after an hour wait for our luggage.
So all in all, a nice break from real life. I haven’t been to work in 12 days. Yikes!!
*Jimmy Buffet, Floridays
