Our time together started after Jenni and Aaron dropped Emily off Sunday morning on their way to Big Basin. We decided that a pancake breakfast at the San Carlos airport sounded pretty good . . .
Emi loves the airport. Here she is at the top of the stairs watching for the next flight.
We then took off to R.E.I. where Emily found the tents. She spent a good while zipping and unzipping herself in and out. Rolling around on the air mattresses inside and generally showing anyone who watched what an absolutely comfortable situation it was - We should have charged them an advertising fee.
Emi then found the bicycles. (She needs a few more inches in the legs but came away with a bell.)
And we tried out the camp chairs.
The Next Day:
Em got started rather early coloring some artwork on her table using the cup she got from R.E.I. to hold her markers. She loves to organize her work space.
She grabbed one of my hats to play with. Ann asked her to pose with it on and she was proud to do so.
We went out to eat at our local diner and she walked her stroller all the way home with her "leftover box" and the picture we all drew and colored, while we were there, in the seat.
Emily decided that putting her "Hug Me" Bear, "Pinky" Bear and Duckie to sleep was THE GAME this week. It's her face and how attentive she is that is amazing.
My new Uke!
Got to get them into this stuff while they're young and still think what you'd love to teach 'em is fun . . . A little lesson first thing in the morning. (Ann, don't take my picture at this un-Godly hour!)
On one of my travels -
somewhere - I found this child-sized Buff with
Peanuts characters on it sitting in a bin. Looks good!
On the other hand you can't go too far wrong with a racing jacket highlighted by a Harley-Davidson patch. Add some Ariel shades and I think we are ready to go!
One VERY windy night we picked up this balloon on our way home. Emily wanted the Ariel one (she is her mother's daughter!). Emily walked with that balloon all the way home in the wind which was quite a challenge. I tied it to her belt loop and stuck the weight in her pocket. Still she held tight to the ribbons as the wind tried to rip it out of her hands! She was very proud of herself when she got home with the balloon still in her hand - as we were.
Once home she played and played and played with it. The giggling was
priceless!
Ann asked Emily to pose with her balloon so her Mommy & Daddy could see it.
One night while I was out at a meeting Ann played
Dumbo for Emily while she put her friends to bed.
Nothing like the classics! She asked for us to play it for her again a couple nights later. So, for the record: she has seen it twice and she was excited when she found the book at Borders while we were there - I think it's a winner.
The fun thing about watching her put her guys to bed is how she hugs them and then tucks them in.
Stanford U.:
One of the days that I was working Ann took Emily to the Rodin Garden on the Stanford Campus.
She explained to her that Rodin was an artist who used clay ("like PlayDo") to make likenesses of people. "He got so good at it that people really liked his work and bought the statues he made. Someone bought some and brought them here so we could see them."
When they turned the corner Emily pointed up and exclaimed, "There's one!"
She then walked through the garden like a missionary with a purpose pointing to this one and that one. Sometimes asking, "What happened?"
Ann answered her questions like with
The Falling Man simply that he was falling or the woman who was laying that she fell and was laying down now.
She liked Adam and the Gates of Hell the best.
I love that she was touristing around with Duckie in her Italian tee.
One of the most remarkable moments was when Ann took her in to see
The Thinker. She stared and stared at him. Finally as Ann told her they were going to go to the bookstore, she turned with this incredibly puzzled look on her face and asked, "What's
he thinking
about?"
Ah,
that's my grandbaby!
The other moment that was interesting was Emily noticing her shadow like it was another work.
Well, the Saturday of the Union 617 picnic came faster than we could believe . . . The day we were meeting up with Mommy and Daddy.
A few minutes of "Duckie" sitting. (God love that Duckie!)
And
"Duckie"
snuggling
. . .
Emily was set in her 100th year Anniversary tee shirt.
And we were off . . .
If I were to summarize our week with Emily I guess I'd just have to say that I couldn't find more joy anywhere if I were looking for it.
(It kind of makes me ponder about my first experiences with some other two year olds I knew. I hope that there are three people who know in their psyches somewhere what great joys they were to behold . . . thanks. Papa)
and . . .
Thank you, Emi!
We love you,
Papa and Annie
She explored some of the older fallen trees with Uncle Willy, and we stepped into the visitor's center for a quick look at all the stuffed animals (her favorite was the fox)..JPG)
Later the same day she took a dip in Beaver Creek where she was "kissed" on the foot by a water "spider" (aka strider). Emily shook him off and waded through the creek effortlessly like a high altitude Little Mermaid under Annie's watchful eye. It was simply just a beautiful and quiet place for Emi to explore and play and make herself at home in the woods.
and then found a spot along the side of Highway 4 to watch the local Holiday Parade which included a "bear with pants on" (Emily's description of Smokey the Bear) and a real-life princess (Emi's favorite!) among a multitude of clever floats and local emergency vehicles with sirens a-blazin'. She brought a rather special moment to all those around her when she stood perfectly still, hat held over her heart, listening to the National Anthem at the start of the parade.
After the parade we got to see a magic show and then Emily toured through the annual flea market, marveling at puppets, quilts, and bathouses.
Toward the end of the day, Emi wandered onto the dance floor outside a nearby cafe (an old piece of carpet covering some dirt) to entertain the locals as she shuffled along to the Stardust Cowboys' live pickin'. 
Emi was entranced with everything on the tour as she walked through the caves (where we were pretty sure we saw pirates among the barrels of "rum") and along the gold panning creek.
It was hot and it was long, and she never complained once. She just kept taking it all in as is her nature (ever the little scientific observer)!
It was a joy to spend the time with her and we can't wait for her first canping trip. She's definitely at home in the wilderness.
