Jordan and I got to spend some quality time together today while Josh was supervising a brew session in Pullman. We decided to try more fingerpainting. Messy, but fun. Good thing all kids' finger paints are washable and non-toxic.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Jordan Travels the Gem State
Last week we took advantage of an opportunity to visit Boise while Josh was scheduled to be there for a technology conference. To break up the long travel distance we made a pit stop in McCall for a night and played in the snow before completing the trek to Boise. As a side note, I have noticed that Jordan is more and more reluctant to sleep on road trips and instead prefers to whine and complain, despite the high-tech video-viewing devices Josh has provided for her entertainment. So by the time we arrived in Boise we were all glad to be out of the car.
We checked into the hotel and while we were unpacking and childproofing Jordan was busy exploring her first hotel room. At first she didn't know what to make of the place, but then she found her bucket of toys and made herself at home. Even though this was an extra-roomy hotel room (with a separate area for the bed and a separate area with a couch and desk) we didn't really think about the logistics of how to put Jordan to bed. Normally she is put in her crib in her own room with some rain sounds, then she usually cries for a few minutes and eventually goes to sleep. However, in the hotel room she fought the sleep and cried a lot more because she knew we were in the room with her. Plus, we didn't want to get noise complaints from our neighbors so we couldn't let her "cry it out" like we normally do and had to lull her fully to sleep each night. This takes a lot more time and effort and is very frustrating when you know that it is normally an easy task when at home.
We spent Superbowl Sunday with our friends Nik, Jen and Parker in Meridian. Parker and Jordan had a great time playing together because they are pretty close in age. Plus, Parker had a killer toy room stocked with tons of awesome toys and books. To top it off, Parker's kitty, Buzz, was very friendly and let Jordan pet him! This is the first real kitty that Jordan has been able to touch. We all had a good time catching up, and was a great way to start our trip to Boise.
On Monday after hitting up the swimming pool, Jordan and I strolled over to Boise Town Square while Josh went to his conference. It was fun to cruise a mall that takes longer than 5 minutes to walk past all the storefronts. Jordan didn't last long in the stroller and instead preferred to walk alongside. But in all the walking she really worked up an appetite and required a continuous supply of goldfish crackers or else she would scream and complain and throw a giant tantrum. She was able to go between tantrums long enough to pick out a new swimsuit and cover-up for the Summer (whew!). Then as we were thinking about going back to the hotel for a nap we happened upon the kiddie playland!!! She felt right at home because the playland was just a larger version of the one she frequents in Moscow. Finding the playland might have saved my sanity that day because I needed a break from miss cranky-pants. Fortunately, Josh also arrived shortly afterward to help out.
That night we decided to eat out at a nice sit-down restaurant for a change. We quickly remembered why we choose not to do this anymore. Despite the nap Jordan decided to continue being cranky and restless and unruly. The tables had paper table-toppers which she decided would be very fun to rip into millions of tiny bite-size pieces. So while we were one of about 5 people in this restaurant it seemed to take forever to get our meal ordered and served and had to take turns walking Jordan around to keep her entertained. Not really our idea of a nice night out.
The next day Jordan and I ventured over to Oregon to spend the afternoon with some of my family. She was excited to play with someone else her own age, Peyton, her second-cousin. She also got to see her great aunts Betsy and Mary Jo, great uncle Rick, my cousins Sean, Brady, and Lindsey, and mama kitty. Jordan was really shy at first, but once she found the toy box she was right at home. Peyton showed Jordan how to ride the wooden rocking horse (he's quite enthusiastic about it) but she wasn't too sure about it. Jordan is definitely not as fearless as her cousin Peyton. Then he gave her a lesson in how to throw balls and toys. Turns out she was paying attention because now it's one of her favorite new activities. And how could we leave Betsy's house without sampling all kinds of new delicacies? Jordan scarfed some M&Ms (minis) and Cheetos popcorn puffs and wondered where these treats had been her whole life. Overall it was a good visit, though short. Well, except for the trip back to Boise...cue the screaming and tantrums. Turns out the sun was in her eyes so I had to pull over and rig up a sun screen with my sweatshirt. Finally, some quiet.
We checked into the hotel and while we were unpacking and childproofing Jordan was busy exploring her first hotel room. At first she didn't know what to make of the place, but then she found her bucket of toys and made herself at home. Even though this was an extra-roomy hotel room (with a separate area for the bed and a separate area with a couch and desk) we didn't really think about the logistics of how to put Jordan to bed. Normally she is put in her crib in her own room with some rain sounds, then she usually cries for a few minutes and eventually goes to sleep. However, in the hotel room she fought the sleep and cried a lot more because she knew we were in the room with her. Plus, we didn't want to get noise complaints from our neighbors so we couldn't let her "cry it out" like we normally do and had to lull her fully to sleep each night. This takes a lot more time and effort and is very frustrating when you know that it is normally an easy task when at home.
We spent Superbowl Sunday with our friends Nik, Jen and Parker in Meridian. Parker and Jordan had a great time playing together because they are pretty close in age. Plus, Parker had a killer toy room stocked with tons of awesome toys and books. To top it off, Parker's kitty, Buzz, was very friendly and let Jordan pet him! This is the first real kitty that Jordan has been able to touch. We all had a good time catching up, and was a great way to start our trip to Boise.
On Monday after hitting up the swimming pool, Jordan and I strolled over to Boise Town Square while Josh went to his conference. It was fun to cruise a mall that takes longer than 5 minutes to walk past all the storefronts. Jordan didn't last long in the stroller and instead preferred to walk alongside. But in all the walking she really worked up an appetite and required a continuous supply of goldfish crackers or else she would scream and complain and throw a giant tantrum. She was able to go between tantrums long enough to pick out a new swimsuit and cover-up for the Summer (whew!). Then as we were thinking about going back to the hotel for a nap we happened upon the kiddie playland!!! She felt right at home because the playland was just a larger version of the one she frequents in Moscow. Finding the playland might have saved my sanity that day because I needed a break from miss cranky-pants. Fortunately, Josh also arrived shortly afterward to help out.
That night we decided to eat out at a nice sit-down restaurant for a change. We quickly remembered why we choose not to do this anymore. Despite the nap Jordan decided to continue being cranky and restless and unruly. The tables had paper table-toppers which she decided would be very fun to rip into millions of tiny bite-size pieces. So while we were one of about 5 people in this restaurant it seemed to take forever to get our meal ordered and served and had to take turns walking Jordan around to keep her entertained. Not really our idea of a nice night out.
The next day Jordan and I ventured over to Oregon to spend the afternoon with some of my family. She was excited to play with someone else her own age, Peyton, her second-cousin. She also got to see her great aunts Betsy and Mary Jo, great uncle Rick, my cousins Sean, Brady, and Lindsey, and mama kitty. Jordan was really shy at first, but once she found the toy box she was right at home. Peyton showed Jordan how to ride the wooden rocking horse (he's quite enthusiastic about it) but she wasn't too sure about it. Jordan is definitely not as fearless as her cousin Peyton. Then he gave her a lesson in how to throw balls and toys. Turns out she was paying attention because now it's one of her favorite new activities. And how could we leave Betsy's house without sampling all kinds of new delicacies? Jordan scarfed some M&Ms (minis) and Cheetos popcorn puffs and wondered where these treats had been her whole life. Overall it was a good visit, though short. Well, except for the trip back to Boise...cue the screaming and tantrums. Turns out the sun was in her eyes so I had to pull over and rig up a sun screen with my sweatshirt. Finally, some quiet.
It was bittersweet to have to leave and return to Moscow. On one hand, we were all tired of being cooped up in the hotel and living out of suitcases, but on the other we were having fun exploring the many things there are to see and do in "the big city." We will definitely have to visit again, maybe when the weather is warmer and we can enjoy some of Boise's greenbelts on our bicycles!
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