Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Trip to Virginia, Part 1

Ok... I honestly have no clue where to start in describing this weekend. It was truly wonderful, and amazing.

Now, I have not been able to say anything at all about it here, because Nikia (who I was going to see) reads this - but it was not just ME going this weekend. And I could not risk spoiling the surprise. A while back she had mentioned I should come with my baby girl to her shower... and at the time, a light bulb went off in my poor tiny brain. For my shower, she surprised me, everyone got together and hid her, until the last second - I had no clue she was even in town. I knew I could not be that slick for her shower.... but, I still managed to pull something over on her! Her husband knew, and one of her friends... that I indeed was bringing my Jillian along. THAT is the main reason I took the train down (because I hate to fly, but I will - just with alcohol, which I could not have with Jillian with me) and I had given her various reasons about staying in the hotel, and not taking her up on her offer to stay at her Grandmother's house - because I had no idea how Jillian would be going to sleep in a strange bed, after all the excitement.

And as I stepped off the train, I could not even focus on her reaction very much, because I was trying to sort of hide Jillian behind me, and make sure she did not tumble down the steep stairs. By the time we got to the bottom - her hand was covering her mouth in shock (happy shock!) and I wish I could have grown an extra hand to take a picture!!! And I was so VERY proud of my baby girl... I was worried she would be so shy, because she had not seen her "Aunt" Niki since she was just about a year and a half old, when we saw each other just after my baby boy was born... but I had been telling her all day we were going to see "Niki" - and I was so proud of her - she jumped into her arms squealing "HI Niki!!!!" I could not have asked for a better moment than that one!

After she picked us up from the train station, we headed off to her Grandmother's house to meet up with her husband, and his sisters, and her other friend who had flown in from Cleveland.

Before I continue on with my story, I feel it has become suddenly necessary to "explain" myself to someone... and though I know the coward who would not even leave their name, and came into my diary through annonymouse.com is not worthy of an explanation, I will give one, incase anyone else is wondering. Someone (I have a few possible guesses, and it is so annoying being stalked, don't you have anything better to do?) already looked at all the pictures I put up from my trip this weekend (no fair, I did not even get the entry up yet!) and decided to leave a nasty comment here, in the comments page from my previous entry. When I traveled, I did not travel with a car-seat for my daughter. At home she has graduated to a booster seat, and it was impractical to bring it along. My daughter is very tall for her age. Honestly almost unusually so. NOT ONCE has a stranger not been startled when I told them her age. NOT ONCE. EVER. She has the height easily of a 5 year old, though she is only 3 and a half. So I was well within ALL states safety requirements, as well as the law's by not placing her in a car seat. (Next time know the facts before you judge someone jackass, if you wish to continue this, I will happily rip into you some more, through the relative privacy of email.)

Ok... anyway... where was I? Yes, back to all the happy stuff...

From the train station, we headed over to Nikia's Grandmother's house. I have to admit, I was so nervous about this. Her Grandmother had not seen me since I was I think 11. And now, she was about to meet my daughter. My father's mother passed away before she was born, as did my dear "Mimi" (my mother's mother) and having Niki's Grandmother meet MY baby girl, was like connecting a piece of my past, to my future. Coming full circle. The memories of my childhood, in that quiet little Houston Suburb, connecting to the pieces of me now, my family, my husband, the adult I have become. I just did not get a chance to express any of that much, because we had this constant flood of people around us the entire weekend. But that is probably a good thing, because I would have gotten all teary eyed, and therefore embarrassed!

Ok... moving on... once we had gathered everyone up, we headed out to dinner. We went to Nikia's favorite Hibachi place, and I had actually never been to one before! So it was pretty neat. And the chef probably has the coolest job around, he gets paid to stand there and goof off, and make smart-ass comments. (Teriyaki sauce = Japanese Coke, you had to be there, it was very funny at that moment) And it was a blast! And my baby girl LOVED it. She thought the fire was too cool, and there were several birthday's there, and each time they came out with a drum and everything, she really got into it all!

I can't believe this entry has gotten this long, and I am still on the first few hours of the trip! After dinner we went and got us all checked into the hotel room - which was a huge room! I had wanted the Jacuzzi tub - they had it, my husband had agreed to the cost as a part of my Valentine's Day present... so I was really looking forward to it, and was determined to use it even if it meant sneaking in time at 4 in the morning. Well, they had screwed up, and that room was already taken. So, they took the cost off and still gave us the suite room, it had it's own little kitchen area and everything, which was really convenient to have with my munchkin there.

Getting her to sleep went as well as I could have expected, and I did manage to get her to sleep in her own bed. My poor body was SO sore from the train. It was like being on a wooden roller-coaster for 8 straight hours, though I still preferred it to a plane! It was just a bit ruff on my hip. Then of course, after my baby girl was asleep and all the lights were off, I had to get up for something, when I came back to bed, I totally misjudged where the night table was, and jammed my knee RIGHT into it. It still burns when I touch it today... it just made me feel like such a klutz.

Ok, it has taken me forever to write this much... the kids have been arguing, and my husband is about to be home and I still need to unload the dishwasher! (Yes, I am way behind my normal "groove" today!) So... I will leave you waiting for part 2 - the actual shower day for later tonight or tomorrow!

In the meantime, there are many, many pictures posted here: http://lostinmylove.buzznet.com for everyone to look through and comment on!

03.06.2006
7:51 p.m.

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