Trip Home to NY & NJ - Day 6 (Last Day)

Thursday was our last full day at the shore, and we went to the beach bright and early. We had the beach practically to ourselves. A short time later, a friendly little girl, Isabella, appeared and joined Kate and me as we ran from the waves. Isabella was "three and three quarters" and really wanted to play with Kate. Since her grandmother was busy with Isabella's younger sister, I offered to watch Isabella. Then Isabella's grandmother spotted something in the ocean...Jaws? Dolphins! Three of them! Kate was so excited. "A family! Where are they going? Are they going home?" At one point, Kate decided she'd had enough of the beach and her new friend, and wanted to go back to Pop-Pop's house for a snack and a potty break. Isabella and I spent the next half-hour digging and burying things in the sand while waiting for Kate to return. Kate eventually came back, her belly full and her bladder empty, and she and Isabella were buddies again.

After lunch, Kate, Pop-Pop, and I took a dip in the little pool in the backyard.

We practiced blowing bubbles...

...until a shark snuck up on Kate and sprayed her.

As it turned out, the shark had more silly tricks up his sleeve...

Kate loves a good physical gag. Like her Mom.

Kate was Pop-Pop's number one fan. "You're funny, Pop-Pop!"

Kate did so much laughing this week, it wasn't surprising that she didn't want to go home. When I told her we'd be leaving tomorrow, she got very quiet and said, "I'm sad, Momma."

That night, there was a huge thunderstorm. Uncle Glenn asked Chris to get a photo of the lightening rod Pop-Pop retrieved from an old building around the corner. Pop-Pop decided to hold it out like Ben Franklin, risking electrocution. A million photos later, Chris finally got a shot of a bolt of lightening with the rod. Luckily, Pop-Pop was safe inside, sleeping.

The next morning, we headed back to LA. It was a wonderful, wonderful trip, and we were sad to go.

Trip Home to NY & NJ - Day 5

The next morning, Pop-Pop invited Kate to help him put out the flag in order to "start the day." He does this with all his granddaughters, and wanted Kate to be a part of the tradition. Give Kate the title of "helper," and she'll do just about anything. Except dishes. Dr. Lisa gave Kate the stuffed bear as a gift. Kate named him "Fuzzy," and thought he was the bees knees. Grammy told Kate she might see dolphins in the ocean, and Kate wanted to try and "catch" one, so she brought some tools. Kate was obviously anticipating some pretty small dolphins. As for the shirt she's wearing, she saw it in a local store and it was love at first sight. It became her favorite shirt of all time. Or at least of all week. Chris, our pack mule. No dolphins...just a handful of baby clam shells. Kate and Appa going for a dip. Our friend Laura drove down from Manhattan just to meet Kate. When Chris was in high school, Laura's parents bought a "shore" house a few down from Pop-Pop's, and by coincidence, they ended up going to the same college as well. Not surprisingly, Kate liked Laura immediately. Probably because she was such a great dance partner. And because everyone who meets Laura likes her immediately. That evening, Pop-Pop and Grammy cooked up a shellfish extravaganza. Kate said hello to the lobster before he met his fate. Which may be part of the reason why she refused to eat him. That, and the texture. She ate shrimp instead. She didn't meet them first. Kate, taking a picture of me taking a picture of her. After dinner, Kate helped Pop-Pop take the flag back in to "end the day." It was a very good day.

Trip Home to NY & NJ - Day 4 - Going to the Shore

After a few days in the city, it was time to head to Pop-Pop and Grammy's house down the Shore. Like Chris' cartoon says, people from New Jersey don't go to the beach, they go to "the Shore." By the time this photo was taken, we had effectively removed the word "beach" from Kate's vocabulary. We took the train so Kate could experience riding the rails for the first time. Someone must have scored a touchdown on the tracks. There's no other way to explain Chris' arms. Kate, the ham. Not sure where she gets it. Pop-Pop, checking out the construction going on across the street. "Boy, they're working hard to build that house!" Kate observed. Kate and Pop-Pop goofing around on the hammock. The first thing Kate wanted to do when we got there was see the beach. I guess we hadn't really removed the word from her brain. Apparently it is perfectly acceptable to refer to the actual sand/ocean as "the beach" in this context. When referring to the house, the town, or the act of going to the house or town, however, it is "the Shore." Pop-Pop and Chris in their Jersey Shore T-shirts. Pop-Pop's is courtesy of Chris and The New Yorker. Looking at this photo, I realized how much Chris resembles his Dad, especially around the nose/mouth area. And then I realized where Kate gets her nose/mouth area.

I wanted to get a shot of Pop-Pop wearing Chris' cartoon with the actual shoreline he drew in it behind him. Unfortunately, I only had a longish lens, so Chris took the shot the next day...

Chris grew up on this beach. He said this image is burned in his mind's eye. Kate always loves a good gazebo.

Kate was very excited to sit in Pop-Pop's "fancy" red car. Kate was disappointed she couldn't take a ride in the fancy red car (MG's aren't carseat-able). Grammy sliced up some "Jersey" tomatoes and tossed them with olive oil, salt/pepper, oregano and garlic. I used to laugh at Chris when he'd brag about the Jersey tomato. Oh, I'd laugh, and then I'd laugh some more. This, coming from a man who was rabidly anti-tomato (except when in sauce or ketchup form). But he was right. I ate so many tomatoes while we were there that I felt like Violet "you're turning violet, Violet!" Beauregarde, only the tomato version. Kate, who takes after her Dad in the tomato department, even tried one, and exclaimed, "I like it!" before refusing to take another bite. Kate read in the hammock as the sun set. It was so relaxing being at the Shore. Kate never slept better, and neither did we.

Trip Home to NY & NJ - Day 3

On Monday morning, we took the ferry across the Hudson River to Manhattan. Kate and I were going to see "Dr. Lisa" (as Kate calls her) and finally meet her daughter, Giselle Bella (aka "G"). Kate loves babies and was very excited. As we approached the city, big, black clouds loomed in the sky. "Uh-oh, Momma! A storm!" As soon as we boarded the bus, a huge thunderstorm began -- with lightening! We rarely get thunderstorms in LA, and I had almost forgotten what they were like. Fortunately, Kate thought it was very cool. Then it began teeming. And then hailing. And then I realized I didn't bring an umbrella (this is what happens when you spend too much time in the desert). Kate and I dashed off the bus towards a tiny awning outside an apartment building. Luckily, the front door was unlocked, and we waited inside the vestibule until the rain let up. Kate's shoes and pants were drenched, but she was an excellent sport about it. We walked for a few seconds in the light rain until a taxi miracuously appeared and took us to Baby G, who was graciously waiting for us in the hallway in her bumbo seat. Kate squealed, "So cutieeee!" when she saw her. Beautiful G. Kate and G getting to know each other over a plate of meatballs. Our friend, Risa, whom Lisa and I have been friends with since elementary school, joined us for lunch so she could meet Kate. Kate thought it was very funny that Mom had a friend named "Lisa" and a friend named "Risa." I told her Halmoni used to ask, "R or L?" when they called (the Korean ear can't hear the difference). In the middle of her meal, Kate looked at Risa and proclaimed, "I like you." Kate liked holding Giselle's little hand. After lunch, Giselle took a nap while Kate watched a DVD on Lisa's cozy bed. A little while later, Chris came back from his lunch meeting with The New Yorker and was able to meet the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world. Then he and Kate went to The Times building to say goodbye to Kirk before hopping on the bus back to New Jersey, while I headed to the Upper West Side for a meeting with a director/producer. Neither rain nor hail nor lightening nor gloom of storm clouds was going to stop us from meeting Miss G. And it was well worth it.