Our 1st Annual Vacation Together

Tuesday, July 31st

We left on Tuesday, July 31st around 10:30 in the morning from your home town to North Carolina.  You were GREAT on that long trip.  You didn't cry hardly at all. We made a few stops for food and two restroom breaks.

Here you are happy and laughing..................................and reaching for the phone because you love gadgets (and are very good with them!)

Fascinating with the Garage Door Opening By Itself

When we got to NC the first thing that seemed fascinating to you was when the garage door started opening all by itself.  Of course after that you were the clicker of the garage door opener every time we left the house.  You watched the entire process until the door opened and closed.  We pushed the button a couple of times so you could get used to the pressure needed to activate it, then you had it. I see an engineer in the making.

Inside the house and pictures of you, Daddy and Mikayla

Once we got inside I took you around the house and showed you pictures of you, Daddy and Mikayla throughout the house.

You ended up walking around the house with Daddy's pictures that first day.

Here you are looking at the picture and saying Daaddee...

 Once we got a good feel of the surroundings I gave you some grapes which I knew you loved. It didn't matter where you went that day, that picture of Daddy was going with you.

The Pink and Blue Play Room

We made our way upstairs to the play room, where I had found some blue curtains that made the room look really welcoming. You had a ball looking at stuff in there and dancing around and around and going from one thing to the other.  I didn't get a picture of you play acting with the little theater, but you had a ball with going behind the curtain and opening it like you were on stage.  I see an actress in that.

Outside in Nature to Be With Nature --- and the bite from the Mosquito

We then went outside to sit in the back yard.  We put some more food in the bird feeders.

Here you are looking at the birds coming to the bird feeder.

Here you are looking at some butterflies

 and a squirrel made an appearance!

We were outside about 30 minutes when I noticed a bug on your face.  That bug was actually a mosquito. After that we brought your little chair inside the house and I let you look at the birds from the window.

Inside of about an hour or so I notice your eye lid was a little red. I could see it looked different.  We went about the rest of our day... but I just kept watching your eye.

Eat - Eat

I made some rice and vegetables which you liked and ate by yourself even. You didn't want me to feed you, you wanted to do it yourself.

Bath Time:

You got in the bathtub but you didn't want to sit down even though I had brought your bath toys from home.  So we went on to bed.

1st Night:

I kept watching your eye throughout the night, alternating between a cool cloth and an ice pack.  I could see the swelling, but because your eyes were closed I couldn't  tell just how bad it was.

Wednesday - Day 2

The next day, when you woke up it was VERY bad.  That day I started researching mosquito allergies and what I needed to do. You didn't have a fever which was good.

We stayed in the house all day on Wednesday because there was no way we were going anywhere outside so you could get bitten again. You didn't appear to feel bad, you were playing and laughing or sleeping most of the day.

On our way to NC I had brought a DVD about Sponge Bob, who I'd heard of, but I didn't know anything about him. I quickly learned that you knew all about Sponge Bob Square Pants...and you would say it soooo cute.   You really enjoyed watching that DVD.

We still played in the play room.

We used this day as an opportunity to go to the potty, wear your big girl underwear and use toilet paper.  I just wanted you to get use to the entire process. You would just go in there and sit on the potty, pull the toilet paper, wipe yourself, we'd dump the "nothing" (cause nothing came out) into the real toilet, flush the toilet, wash your hands.  We just had fun with it, no pressure, just fun.  We probably did that entire process about 20 times throughout the day.

Mostly I let you sleep and lounge around and do whatever you wanted because your eye looked so bad.

When I was upstairs you were in my bed, when I was downstairs you were on the coach.

On the Computer and Selah Sue:

We played/worked on the computer quite a bit!

You showed me buttons and what they did that I didn't even know existed!!!  The amazing thing is you seemed to know what those buttons did  -- what the result would be, because you could duplicate what you did!  It wasn't a mistake!

You took my ipod ear pads out of the ipod and started to put it into the lap top.  I thought about it and said, yes, that was possible.  I found the plug and wondered why I NEVER thought to do that.  It just never occurred to me.  You didn't seem to be experimenting, you just KNEW.  AMAZING for a 2 year old to think like that.

You found the way to start and stop the videos on You Tube.  This was not a fluke because once you figured out what a button did you could repeat it over and over again and wait for the same reaction. Technological wizardry.

I was working on my other blog and had recently discovered a Belgium singer that I think is going to become a very big hit so I played her for you.

You ABSOLUTELY loved this music.You liked the beats, but also you started to sing along with the sounds she was making even the foreign words at the beginning.

Once her CD hits in the states I'll send it to your Dad so you can groove to some international vibes.

You even picked up my guitar and tried to play it.  It was too big for you, but you tried to look like Selah  Sue. I could tell that you could sense that she was passionate about what she was doing.  Remember this blog is about helping YOU (Danaja) find your passions in life and to go for them  - even if it "seems" like you shouldn't be doing whatever you discover - like this lady singing soulfully and jamming - doesn't seem to fit how she looks, but it works!

I don't care what you end up wanting to do or try I just want you to be passionate about it, because if you are passionate then you will be happy, and not just going through life like 99% of folks - drifting through. So, I just want you to remember some of your experiences so you can find your path quicker than most.

Below is the video of Selah Sue that we watched on and off about 30 times throughout your visit!!!

Running Out of Juice

By Wednesday night I had  run out of 2% milk and juice so I made some tea from tea bags, which you did NOT like and let me know it, so I knew we would have to get up early in the morning and go get some more milk and juice.  I wasn't sure how your eye would look or how you would feel, but I knew I needed juice -- -so that was heavy on my mind.

Re-Discovering Christ

Wednesday night was a very interesting night for me.  I actually re-discovered Jesus Christ.  Not the historical Jesus of the bible, but the Christ.  As I looked at your puffy eye I could see it was not getting worse and looked like it was getting better, BUT was not completely back to normal.

All I wanted was to take that from you.  Take the swelling. Take the pain. Take the itching.  It was like I was willing that from here on out that any other mosquito that wanted to bite YOU to direct them to ME and to leave you alone.

It reminded me of the bible verse about how Jesus Christ died to take the sting of death away from us.  Theoretically, I understood that, but practically I experienced it because I wanted to take that mosquitoes sting from you and take it into my body.  I want you to be able to go outside in the summer, have a good time, not get scarred up from something so small as a mosquito.

I kissed and kissed your little puffy eye  and cheek asking God to make you better. Honestly, I truly rediscovered Christ that night.

Thursday - Day 3

I got up at 6 a.m., right before it was getting light outside,  and you were still asleep.  We went to the store to get you some milk and juice for the morning.

When we got back I made Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Chives (you loved that!) and turkey bacon. You seemed to like everything.

We moved you from the booster seat to just the chair and you were fine.

At the Library

When you woke up on Thursday your eye was much better, not normal, but better.

After we finished eating we got dressed and went to the library!!!  You had a great time.

You're not a shy child, which is good.

You did want all the other kids to play with you or you wanted to play with what they were playing with.  You were bold.  You weren't afraid and you didn't seem to understand why they didn't just do what you wanted - play with you.

As I watched you I realized that you'll need to learn the boundaries of playing with other children, but it's good you weren't shy because that is limiting and it's harder to figure out who you are and what you like when you're shy.  I'd rather go from bold to just giving you some social clues then trying to help you find your spirit.  You are a spirited child - that's a good thing.

 I honestly found it strange that these parents seemed detached from their children.  I had forgotten that feeling of reading parents and their children and how I could sense what they taught their children about "others".

Yes, I had forgotten.

Watching you play was wonderful and you had a great time. I saw a leader in you at TWO years old. Eventually one little girl came over to play with you.  She was three years old and FOLLOWED you!   After you two played I just let you go to every station and have that experience.

You especially loved the computer center and wanted to get some earphones ---which we didn't --- of your own.

Here you are wondering why they aren't playing with you...bummer...everyone's just detached and in their own world...you weren't having none of that!

The little three year old who came over to play with you.

You at the board with all the letters.  They didn't have any D's for Danaja...what???  I just kept looking for the D's. You didn't want me to hold you,  to play with the board you wanted to stand on the stool all by yourself.

I sort of kept forgetting we were in the library because I wanted you to fully experience all that you could, so I was talking the whole time explaining what things were...in my "indoor" voice...but people were still looking at us.  Of course I was thinking -- so what...say something if you so dare...same boldness that you have.

Your favorite station  - THE COMPUTERS.  We didn't go and get signed on to go to the games because you didn't want to leave the computer. I'm telling you technology is your thing!

Looking for Earrings:

I told your father I would buy you some everyday earrings that were reasonably priced.  We went to TJ Maxx...nothing, Marshall's..nothing, and I just couldnt' remember where I'd seen baby jewelery.  Then I thought that maybe Walmart would have them.  Even though I don't like going to Walmart, and don't shop there because it feels like I've gone to a third world country... we made our way there and sure enough they had an entire section of baby jewelry.  We found a pair of Dora earrings and got those. You were getting sleepy so we made our way back home.

Lunch

We went back home and I made some veggie corn dogs and baked some cookies.  You helped make the cookies dough and had a good time stirring the batter.

You liked seeing the eggs get cracked open and wanted to try it, but I didn't let you, too messy.  The cookies turned out okay...not good enough to take a picture of, but we ate them anyway!

Loving Playing With Books

While I was cooking you then discovered my books!!! I knew as I watched you pull them out of the book cases that I had made the right decision to ask your father to let you keep my books when I'm gone one day.  You never know they might be worth something and I'm sure some of them are rare books because I've totted them from place to place for over 30 years.

You LOVE books.

So here are pictures of how it looked before and after you discovered the books and the fun of pulling them out of the book case.

So, we were kind of tired from going out, cooking and playing around the house.

Sending Your Father A Birthday Message

We went back upstairs and you discovered the picture of you and another picture of Daddy in my room.  You also found this little metal present box that I had on a side table.

I mean you just had your daddy's picture and this little metal present box playing with it on the bed and I decided that would be a perfect picture to send to your Father because it was his birthday. So we recorded an audio message on my phone with you you saying Happy Birthday Daddy and sent it to him as your birthday gift to him along with the below pictures

Sleeping By Yourself

I let you sleep in the spare bedroom on Thursday night. I just kept checking in on you and sometimes had to put you back in the middle of the bed.  You would be sideways in the bed!

You were really good and looked like a big girl sleeping by yourself.  I let you wake up in the bed by yourself, but was there when you woke up with the wake-up greeting..."Top of the Morning To You!"

I showed you all the pictures going up the stairs and when I pointed out a picture of Daddy when he was a teenager titled Sunday, Sunday, Wednesday (this is for when we went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night for 15 years!)

You didn't immediately recognize him, but you just kept looking at it and finally decided that it COULD be him, so we now had to stop at that picture every time we went up and down the stairs.

 You also were SO confused when I pointed out the picture in the middle of the wall, under the spot light of your Dad as a baby.  I kept saying Daddee and you would just look at me all confused, like I'm not buying that grandma, that ain't daddy, that's a baby. You looked at me soooo funny.  I tried to take a picture of you along side this picture, but couldn't because I couldn't hold you up and take the picture at the same time.

Friday - Day 4

By Friday morning your eye was almost normal. I could just see the three little bite marks on your face, but the majority of the swelling was gone.

I cooked just eggs this time and you were so cute.  You had remembered that we used the black measuring cup when we made the cookies, so you got that - which was in reach and wanted (insisted) that I put your eggs in that little cup.  It was sooooooo cute.  You ate all by yourself and drank your milk all by yourself out of a pink cup.  You were such a big girl.

Bath Time and Having Fun

I gave you a bath in the morning because I wanted to take as much time as it took for you to  understand that you could ENJOY taking a bath and have a good time.

So we ran the water, made bubbles with the baby soap, made it a play of sorts with how the bath toys were thrown in and how to put water in the toys mouths and how to squirt it out.

I let you just watch and then start squirting the water while outside of the tub for about 20 minutes and just waited for you to decide to get in the tub.

You finally decided you were ready to get in the tub and you immediately sat down and started to play with the bath toys.  No crying, no fussing or refusing to sit down.

Then we played for another 20 minutes. No bath, just played and ran more warm water and played and played with the little toys.

Finally we took a bath and you had a great time even watching the water go out of the tub and putting your toys back in the canister.

Getting Dressed and At The Make-up Table

Every morning after I got you dressed I would take you back to my room and you'd sit on the bed and play or watch Sponge Bob while I got dressed.

I let you sit at the make-up table with me as I put on my contacts and make-up. The only thing I'd let you touch was the Vitamin E tube - which actually came in handy because it was one of the things on the list I had to get for the "how to get rid of mosquito bite marks".

We got you all dressed and you wanted to go back in the play room.  We used the play theater booth with the same water animals from the tub to put on a little play.

We took our time getting dressed - no real rush - no where we had to be at a certain time.  We almost forgot to brush your teeth, but you remembered when you saw me brush my teeth.

You are just doing so much better opening your mouth since you got your teeth cleaned.  It must be wonderful to discover this world.  I know it's wonderful for me to rediscover it all over again through your eyes.

I really enjoyed getting on my knees and walking on my knees, so I could be on your level and see how you were seeing stuff at eye level.  Again,  I confused you and you got on your knees..imitating me.. so we played imitating each other for a while. That was fun!  I use to do that with your dad too.  Actually there were a couple of time I called you David!!! Kind of took me back 30 years!

To the Mall and You Wanting to Push the Stroller

After we got dressed we went to the mall.  I wanted to find you some pajamas. It's hard to find pajamas for kids.  What on earth do manufacturers think kids should wear to bed? I didn't find anything at the mall.  We used the time to stroll and walk around the mall since I haven't been walking in about a week which feels like a year to me.

After we were there for about 45 minutes you wanted to get out of the stroller and I could tell by the whining at that point that you NEEDED to get out.

You then proceeded in pushing the stroller at the bottom for about 20 minutes. I could tell you've done that before.  I was AMAZED at how fast you were going, how you kept going and were determined to make it to where ever we needed to go.

Once we got the elevator you were tired, out of breath, but I could see that you knew you had accomplished something.

I just clapped and clapped for your efforts. Everyone just keep saying how cute you were, and you are.

I could see from you wanting to help, or just "do something" instead of sitting back chilling that you're going to be a "doer".

I could tell that once you find what you like to do, that you want to do it.  That's pretty important in life because there are a hundred, million, billion, things to do, think, learn, or be  -- and life is about finding those things that fit who you are, feel natural to you, and be able to identify that alignment.  I am so proud of you for that discovery at 2 years old.  Don't lose that!  I don't ever want you to lose that, even when you go to school and they try to "indoctrinate" you...I'm not going to let them.  They will have to deal with me like David's teachers and the administrators had to deal with me...no matter where on this earth or even if I'm not on this earth and gone...I'm never going to be gone from you....NEVER...just know that I will always be with you weather I'm with you physically or not.  I"m connected soulfully..I got you!

Target - Has What We Need

We ended up finding everything on my list at Target:

1. PJ's for 2 T,  but they fit you
2. A play steering wheel  - I noticed you like to be behind the wheel - who knows you might end up as the first black woman car racer or owning a trucking company---who knows why you like to hold on to the wheel, but there is a reason and again you know you like it so you gravitate to it.  I want to encourage that.
3. A microphone - we recorded you some and you liked that - I was thinking about when you watched Selah Sue holding that mike and wanted to hold something like a mike, like she was holding. 
4. Some balls - only because I didn't have any balls for you to roll or play with other than a work-out Tai Chi ball which was too heavy
5. Keys, because you want everyone else's,
6. Cell phone - because you want everyone else's.  This one was cool because it rang when you closed it!
7. The natural product I found on line for a regime for getting rid of the scars from the mosquito bites.

I see mosquito differently now.  I actually NOTICE them.  I'm telling you that experience of your eye changed me.  Even though I have gone through a range of emotions since my mother died and have decided how I would work though those - - -  the intensity of the FEAR that I felt when your eye was blowing up I could truly understand that FEAR is just another face for LOVE.  You aren't going to be fearful or angry of something so passionately if underneath it there isn't love.

You fell asleep on the way back from the shopping.

Friday Night -- Last Night Together

After you woke up we played with some of your new toys, but not all of them.

I put you on a new pair the PJ's and we read a bunch of books over and over again and practice saying that you were 2 years old with the napkin.

We watched the movie UP, ate, and just lounged around during our last night together

Saturday Morning - Day 5

I gave you a bath and you enjoyed it.  We couldn't play as long because we had to get on the road to meet your mom and dad who were coming to pick you up. I had already packed up the car the night before except your clothes for the day.

We got on the road and on the way back you were up most of the time.  You dad called and said he would be leaving late so I figured we could stop off and leisurely eat and play so we went to Chick Fil.  We went to the play area and this time there was a little boy there who wanted to play with you but you didn't want to play with him...it was like a reversal of the Library experience.  That was interesting. You had a really good time playing in there. The father of the little boy took a picture of the two of us...I realized in all of this WE didn't have a picture together from our 1st Vacation.

I had such a wonderful time with you Danaja.  This is our first annual trip doll baby and because I am willing myself and preparing myself to have a net worth of $1,000,000 by the time I am 50 which is next year...we should be able to have a fabulous vacation next year and the next year and the next year.....