California Day 6

This morning we met my dad at a bakery downtown, grabbed chocolate croissants, and walked to


Grandpa showing John that those steps were for bigger boys.

Grandpa and John examining the big tree.

I wanted to keep John at the toddler's playground, but Chris insisted he was capable of handling the big kids' playground. I thought there was no way John would descend the big twisty slide (nor did I want him to), but he proved me wrong.



We returned home and set up John to play in the kiddie pool.

Mary was sitting in my lap on a bench ten feet away when she began lunging toward the pool. She did it enough times that I thought, "She's never been in a pool, but does she want to join her brother?" John at that age just didn't love the kiddie pool so much, so I hadn't bothered to put Mary into it yet. I got her undressed, plunked her in, and she had a grand old time.



We think that Mary's tush is actually bigger than John's!



After the children's naps, my cousin Ethan showed up from 300 miles away . . . on his new (used) motorcycle! Ethan is my mother's identical twin's son, so he's my genetic half-brother. We didn't know he had recently purchased a motorcycle, so we all had to warn him of the dangers (including my stepfather, who rode for 30 years, giving him some lectures).

John was thrilled to try on a real motorcycle helmet. This is as close to riding a motorcycle as I ever want him to get!


We ate a Tex-Mex dinner from one of my favorite restaurants (add black beans to the list of foods Mary likes!) before Ethan had to leave to drive another 300 miles back home so he could be at work in the morning. We were honored that he drove so much in one day to see us for a few hours!