It’s been an uneventful 4 days for us. Which is exactly what we’re hoping for. 2 days in daycare, family time, routine, the usual for us domestic types. We couldn’t ask for much more considering everything that’s been going on as of late.
Mira and I play this new game and I like to call “sleep” It’s not terribly exciting, but it allows me to continue with the slug theme I was working on a few weeks ago before all the craziness started. Mira basically, grabs my hand and makes me lay down. Then she gets me a pillow and a blanket and says, “Sleep daddy, sleep daddy!” So, I close my eyes and snore as loud as possible. Then she goes and grabs every stuffed animal within reach and tucks them into the blanket with me. She’ll give every animal a kiss and say, “Night, night kitty.” or “Night, night froggy.” She’ll do this until I’ve got close to a dozen or so animals stuffed around me. Then I’ll usually get up and we do the whole thing over again. I figure it’s a great way for her to have some control in all that’s been happening with her. And it’s a great bonding experience for daddy and daughter. Here’s a great pic of what happens towards the end of “sleep”
The Game of sleep
Today was a special day in that my parents, grandpa and grandma Mitchell drove to Cleveland from Adrian, Michigan. We sure appreciating them making the trip down to our home. We had a nice lunch and dinner. Mira actually took an amazing nap. After dinner we went to the Great Northern Mall, where Mira was able to engage in one of her favorite activities of all time, escalator riding! Yup, it’s free and she’ll go up and down the escalator as long as you want to take her. Grandma Shirley and grandpa Bob went up and down with her and I several times while Erika ran to get the car. Yeah, I know, why wasn’t I going to get the car. The truth is that I don’t drive Erika’s car (its a story for another day).
Whilst at the mall, Mira even went on a couple of train rides. Yeah, it’s just this tiny train that just goes in circles at the mall. You’d have thunk that the teenagers manning the ride were about to die of boredom if you noticed. But my daughter thought it was pretty awesome going on the train with Mom and Dad and waiving to grandma and grandpa. No pictures from the mall as we forgot the cameras, but you’ll have to trust us.
My parents also brought Mira some presents (awfully nice of them). I think the biggest hit was the new keyboard, just imagine that it’s noisy and she can bang away at it. Here’s a great shot of Mira, Grandpa Bob and myself right before we went out for dinner:
Pat, Mira and Grandpa Bob
He’s not much of a touchy feely guy, my dad. But I saw him hold Mira’s hand for a bit in the backseat on the way home from the mall. That kid has a way of melting your heart I tell ya. Here’s another pic of Mira and Grandma Shirley also:
Grandma Shirley and Mira
Of course Mira was in rare form today. I’m not sure if we’ve heard her so vocal and demanding in a while. On the way to the mall, it was everything I could do to keep her from scream about nonsense. I had to revert to one of my more clever tactics, “Old McDonald” You simply sing the Old McDonald song and let Mira stick in the animals. It keeps her occupied as long as you can get through the chorus and back to the “animal choosing” before she gets bored. Wow, you’d be surprised at all the stuff on Old McDonalds farm these days. There’s a lot of Elephants, Dragons and Dinosaurs, there’s some Monkeys and dolphins. You’ll find Nemo and Dorie there. Occasionally you might even find normal stuff like kitties, sheep and cows. But mostly, it’s just the Dinosaurs, Elephants and Dragons. My dad looked over at me after about the 12 time we found dinosaurs and said, “I feel old.” I’m still not 100% sure what he meant by that. But don’t worry dad, most days I’m fighting for my survival with this one too.
Ok, as a favor to my wife, who has requested this. We sometimes dance around and play in the living room. After my folks took off, tonight was no different. And Erika snuck this video when I wasn’t looking. A bit embarrassing to say the least. But I would hazard a guess that all fathers get roped into something like this on occasion. You’ll notice that both Mira and I are getting down to this little Christmas toy Mira got from her Aunt Joan a year or so back. It’s only about 20 seconds, but it’s entertaining.
Lot’s more holiday stories coming up. We’re planning a visit or two to the great state of Michigan. With stops in Lansing, Ann Arbor, Muskegon, Manistee and maybe even Kalamazoo if things work out. I’m not sure if we’ll spend more time visiting or driving. Gotta love this time of year!