Susie's Shower
On Saturday, Parker and I headed north to attend a baby shower for my sister Susie, who's due in mid-June. This was Parker's first plane and likely to prove to be an interesting experience, especially with the current packing limitations.
I was hoping to get Parker to drink some juice when we took off to help his ears equalize, but he, of course refused. However, surprisingly, he didn't seem to have any ear issues. I guess that's another benefit of the ear tubes.
During the flight we kept busy with coloring and books -- yes, that's a washable marker so I'd have one less thing to worry about (Excuse me, is that your baby writing on the window?) -- especially with my trusty back of baby wipes at my side.
My mom picked us up at the airport and we headed over to her place to check out her digs that she would soon be leaving (But we just got here!) as she was in the process of buying a different apartment in her complex -- with more light than her current rental plus she's on the top floor.
Plus, being in the same complex, she continues to have access to all the community features -- especially the ones important to Parker -- the playground and the pond that's filled with ducks, geese, and turtles. At first Parker was a bit shy around the ducks. But soon he was tormenting them just like any other kid would.
My mom isn't the only person with leaving on the mind. My sister is moving a couple blocks down the street to this little beauty that's currently in escrow. It's a pretty cool house but what they're really buying is the view. Pretty nice, huh?
That said, the kids made the most out of the old digs -- bouncing around and making a total mess, like kids do. I also got them to help me wrap the gifts I had for Susie's shower (wouldn't that sucked if I had wrapped the gifts in LA only to have them unwrapped at the airport?) plus they helped me craft a cool pop-up card -- the artwork being a Luxi original. (Or maybe Niko did it...hmmm, I can't remember anymore.)
On Sunday, we headed over to the shower -- a quaint little brunch at the home of one of Susie's friends. It was outdoors, which meant the kids could roam free 
with little concern for breaking things. Susie looked great and she seemed really excited about her little one. Looks like we'll have to plan to visit again really soon when Little Liu arrives.
While in the neighborhood, we also stopped by Fay and David's to visit another little one, Stephen. What a total cutie. (Of course, no so "little" when compared to our little guy Parker. Hey! He's growing, just at his own pace.) Plus, Parker was excited to see a wooden stool that had an inlaid puzzle that he could play with. BONUS!
Monday, we pretty much hung out until it was time for us to catch our flight out of SFO. Joanie had a meeting that morning so Parker and I hung out at a park (I believe it's Yerba Buena). It was a pretty cool place but will no trees on the playground, it was pretty hot. Thank goodness they had a bunch of water features so Parker could kick off his shoes and cool off.
After a quick lunch with Ahmah, we headed for the airport. This Parker another opportunity to check out the airplanes. This time, though, I think he has a better understanding of what was soon going to happen…we were going to hop on one of those babies and take off.
This time, though, we're homeward bound.
As nice as it is to get out of town, the time away from home only makes you appreciate it that much more.
