That's What It's All About...

Don't act like you don't know...Grandmas!!!!

It has been a very squishy week.

You see, when I was wee, I was lucky enough to get to hang out with this lady

almost every day. Having a constant grandma around was just like having an arm or an eyebrow. You don't really realize how good you've got it until it's gone. Now, now. Don't get so morbid on me, already. My grandma (Germa Filly) is just fine. She was born in 1920 though, and it's just a matter of quantum physics to know that a 90-year-old person can only be so fine for so long, barring any Guiness Book of World Records entries. So, Alessandra and I talked it over and decided to take a little jaunt to good old Fort Myers Beach, Florida to drop in on Grandma Jo and Germa Filly who have recently become roommates so that the latter granny can get a little extra help from the former. How convenient for us to visit two birds with one ticket!

Our ultimate life plan fantasies never involved our little clan so far removed from its larger contingent, but Ricardo and I are both extremely confident that we made the right move by being out here in Minnesota. Thus, here we shall remain while we continue to pine for our extended families. Including grandparents. And especially grandmas.

Grandmas because they smell like Dove soap and their hands feel like velvet. Their hugs instantly melt troubles as if they were a lump of sugar in good, strong coffee. Their stories beg to be retold again and again until they become legends. Grandmas' laughs are like a distant gull on the seashore, waves crashing and sun shining and picnic basket plentiful, all good ingredients for a warm and relaxing day.

Alessandra needed a dose of all of these wonderful things she'd been missing out on. So we suited up for the Sunshine State,


packed the portable DVD player, one thousand books, 18 pounds of various snacks, and exactly 42 swimsuits and dipped out of one state that was 92 degrees with 62% humidity for another state that was 92 degrees with 86% humidity.

SO worth it.

Four generations' worth of worth it.

Feeding Germa Filly with a Backyardigans forkful of worth it.


Listening to Grandma Jo explain the world from her perspective is worth it.

Getting in some pure and unadulterated canine terrorism in is worth it.


Playing with all of the treasure trove of delights Grandma Jo hooked up: Worth it.

Worth it: Spending a day in the closest place to Heaven I've ever been with the people I love the most. And handing down this appreciation to my daughter, the same as all the generations before me have also done.










It's funny how life brings everything back around. Whenever I think of building sandcastles, I always think of Bill Withers' Just the Two of Us, which in turn makes me think of the last entry that I posted before the Best Thing That's Ever Happened To Me was born. And now look, here she is, building sandcastles after all. Life is good.





So the days went as fast as can be expected when having a swell time and we were back on an airplane for departure as quickly as we arrived. Only this time she slept part of the time. Thank God for small favors.

Back on Minnesota soil, Ali was lucky enough to have another grandma (and grandpa and cousins!) waiting for her.

Although the scenery wasn't as great, the grandma was. She was sure to give Ali a nice and easy transition to the real world by bringing the beach to her! Just trade the miles of white sands for our little patch of mottled grass smack dab next to the car in our driveway, and the expanse of rolling ocean waves for the gentle sway of sprinkler mist and you've got a beach! Grandma Torres even cavorted on the "shore" with her for awhile!


Alas, all good things must come to an end. The grandmas (and grandpas and cousins too) all went to their respective places and our little household went back to business as usual.

Ali herself just keeps right on going with her uncanny knack for surprising the pants off of us. My mom was counting with her the other day and once she got to 5 I said "oh, she can't go higher than five". That's when Alessandra said "six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" I will never be a doubter again! She can now recognize her name (Ali) in writing ("Ah-YI") and she also has resorted to using popular slang "okay, cool!". She has been apologizing profusely for anything and everything "I sorry. I sorry. I sorry." Finally, she is starting to recognize her colors. Blue with 100% certainty, then purple in second place. Next is green and sooometimes yellow, pink, or orange.

Yesterday, we visited the dentist for the first time! I was concerned about some blackish/brownish residue that was forming along her gumline and on the backs of her teeth.
We knew this wasn't going to be the happiest visit for Ms. Thang since we generally have to pin her down twice a day to brush teeth anyway, but it was still nice for peace of mind (for me).

Turns out that my little peanut has excess amounts of iron in her system. Kind of like when you have too many vitamins in your system, you just pee them out, only extra iron comes out in your saliva. Who knew? And what are we feeding this girl?!? I have NO idea, but I guess I'm not going to complain about my diamond shoes fitting too tight. They scraped it off and her teeth are now extra white just like they were meant to be!

Did she wriggle, scream and cry for the dentist just like she does for us at home? Yes! But the difference is at home she doesn't get pretty pink toothbrushes, a bunch of Dora stickers and a colorful stretchy bracelet after brushing her teeth. Nice!


Right before we went to Florida, I got to meet little Elena for the first time!!! Now, some babies are cute just because they're a baby. Other babies are cute just because you have to say that they are even though they really look more like a wrinkled prune. Elena, on the other hand is a bona fide pretty baby! No surprise there after taking one look at Angie and Aaron, but come on, Bank of Hotness, spread the wealth a little here!

The original crew plus one. These visits are far and few between, especially now that we're all mamas!


Happy to say that summer is upon us. Although I can hardly believe it's already June, we will be sure we take advantage of the adventures that await us each and every warm evening and weekend. Hopefully we won't disappoint in the fun picture department!

Until next time!