Don’t fly UPS-Class to see grandest daughters
04-05-19 16:57 Grandchildren,Family
As soon as we returned from our holiday, Nazy flew to Washington State to ‘Oh’ and ‘Ah’ over the newest grandest daughter (Auriane) and the oldest grandest daughter (Leandra). She even had time to visit, Christiane, the newest mother, and Darius, the proudest father. I stayed in Santa Barbara (for a while) with the most middle grandest daughter, all the grand(est)sons and Melika and Tom.
For Nazy’s trip, we found a flight on (very) low-cost Allegiant Air which has the only non-stop flights between LAX and Bellingham, WA. They also have specially designed airplane interiors that ‘feature’ non-reclining seats in an all-economy class configuration. If you’re brave enough to visualize the interior of an Allegiant airplane, think of people being stacked like packages on a UPS truck. The airfare is extremely low (a mere fraction of the taxes), but there are fees for everything — checked baggage fee, carry-on baggage fee, boarding fee, seat selection fee, printing the boarding pass fee. Luckily, it was a short flight and she flew UPS-class
In Bellingham, everyone was adjusting to newness. Darius, Christiane and (the lovely) Leandra were in a new house with a new baby. Auriane, the new baby, was in a totally new world and she had to master things like eating and breathing and …
“… sleeping, Mom,” Darius noted. “Leandra is almost two and she seems to be forgetting everything she knew about sleeping. She wakes up the middle of the night and wants to come to our bed. Why is that?”
“She’s two year’s old, Darius.” Nazy thought. “It’s not at all unusual,” Nazy explained. “Mitra came to our bed at that age — two — too.”
“Thanks,” Darius replied. “So: Leandra won’t stay in her bed and Auriane won’t get out of ours,” Darius thought.
Factual note: Once Mitra figured out how to get out of the crib, she began coming to our bed earlier each evening. The situation rapidly deteriorated to the point that she was in our bed before we were.
While Nazy was in Bellingham with the youngest grandchild, I took the two oldest to the Museum of Natural History here in Santa Barbara. They liked the fluorescent rocks, the whale skeleton and running around outside in the garden where, for the first time since we moved to California, there was actually running water in Mission Creek. We threw leaves into the Creek.
“I don’t want them to sting me,” I interjected.
“They are safe. I’m not even wearing my bee suit.”
“If they are so safe, why do you ever wear a bee suit?” i thought. “Is that because it’s a cool evening and the bees are sleeping?” I said.
“Do you want to see them, Tiger?” Tom asked.
“I can see them from here.” Tiger replied from a safe perch in a galaxy far, far away.
After a short weekend, I flew on (sigh) Allegiant to Bellingham to see the new baby. I joined Darius for his daily coffee run. We took Leandra along — and it wasn’t easy. There is a ritual associated with putting her into her car seat. It is..
“… taking longer and longer, Dad,” Darius said. “I used to just put her into the seat, now I have to hold her on my lap, let her start the windshield wipers, jostle the gear shifter, engage the turn signals and …”
“… five golden ring.” I interrupted. “Four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a ..”
“Dad!” Darius interjected. “Why is this happening?”
“She’s two year’s old, Darius.” I thought. “It’s not at all unusual,” I explained. “It’s part of growing up.”
“She’s wearing me down, Dad.”
Later that day, Darius and I drove to the USA/Canada Border at the Peace Arch Park. There were..
“No walls, Dar,” I noted.
“That’s because..”
“… the ‘president’ doesn’t know that there is a border to the north of the country.” I conjectured.
Conditioned by pompous presidential poppycock, I expected to see drug dealers being separated from their children, but the only thing to mark the frontier was an arch and an obelisk. Nevertheless, I managed to get a photo of someone trying to sneak across the border. Confession: I had to sneak across the border myself to get the photo.
Auriane, less than a month old when we saw her last, is active, curious and strong. She is also in the 95th percentile for height. (Or, as it’s measured for babies: ‘length’.) Nazy will return to Bellingham for another visit in a few weeks.
Here in Santa Barbara, I began talking with Tiger about the ‘Don’ts’:
“Don’t let your pet porcupine play with your favorite balloon.” I said.
“Do another one Dan!” Tiger responded.
“Don’t brush the teeth of a wild lion.”
Arrow, listening, interjected: “Don’t throw your food on the floor.”
“No Arrow!” Tiger responded. “Dan! Do another one.”
“Don’t fill your soccer ball with helium.”
“Don’t forget your lunch when you go to school.” Arrow contributed.
Azelle, now about 9 months old, listened to all of this quietly. She is interested in crawling and standing up or exercising her core competency: smiling.
For last week's letter, please click here
For Nazy’s trip, we found a flight on (very) low-cost Allegiant Air which has the only non-stop flights between LAX and Bellingham, WA. They also have specially designed airplane interiors that ‘feature’ non-reclining seats in an all-economy class configuration. If you’re brave enough to visualize the interior of an Allegiant airplane, think of people being stacked like packages on a UPS truck. The airfare is extremely low (a mere fraction of the taxes), but there are fees for everything — checked baggage fee, carry-on baggage fee, boarding fee, seat selection fee, printing the boarding pass fee. Luckily, it was a short flight and she flew UPS-class
In Bellingham, everyone was adjusting to newness. Darius, Christiane and (the lovely) Leandra were in a new house with a new baby. Auriane, the new baby, was in a totally new world and she had to master things like eating and breathing and …
“… sleeping, Mom,” Darius noted. “Leandra is almost two and she seems to be forgetting everything she knew about sleeping. She wakes up the middle of the night and wants to come to our bed. Why is that?”
“She’s two year’s old, Darius.” Nazy thought. “It’s not at all unusual,” Nazy explained. “Mitra came to our bed at that age — two — too.”
“Thanks,” Darius replied. “So: Leandra won’t stay in her bed and Auriane won’t get out of ours,” Darius thought.
Factual note: Once Mitra figured out how to get out of the crib, she began coming to our bed earlier each evening. The situation rapidly deteriorated to the point that she was in our bed before we were.
While Nazy was in Bellingham with the youngest grandchild, I took the two oldest to the Museum of Natural History here in Santa Barbara. They liked the fluorescent rocks, the whale skeleton and running around outside in the garden where, for the first time since we moved to California, there was actually running water in Mission Creek. We threw leaves into the Creek.
Before leaving for Bellingham, I joined the Adams family at their place in Santa Barbara to meet the beekeepe who had been engaged to bring a colony of 8000 bees to the Adams home. Tiger was skeptical..
“Don’t bees sting?” He asked.
“They don’t want to sting you, Tiger,” the keeper said (re)assuringly.
“I don’t want them to sting me,” I interjected.
“They are safe. I’m not even wearing my bee suit.”
“If they are so safe, why do you ever wear a bee suit?” i thought. “Is that because it’s a cool evening and the bees are sleeping?” I said.
“Do you want to see them, Tiger?” Tom asked.
“I can see them from here.” Tiger replied from a safe perch in a galaxy far, far away.
After a short weekend, I flew on (sigh) Allegiant to Bellingham to see the new baby. I joined Darius for his daily coffee run. We took Leandra along — and it wasn’t easy. There is a ritual associated with putting her into her car seat. It is..
“… taking longer and longer, Dad,” Darius said. “I used to just put her into the seat, now I have to hold her on my lap, let her start the windshield wipers, jostle the gear shifter, engage the turn signals and …”
“… five golden ring.” I interrupted. “Four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a ..”
“Dad!” Darius interjected. “Why is this happening?”
“She’s two year’s old, Darius.” I thought. “It’s not at all unusual,” I explained. “It’s part of growing up.”
“She’s wearing me down, Dad.”
Later that day, Darius and I drove to the USA/Canada Border at the Peace Arch Park. There were..
“No walls, Dar,” I noted.
“That’s because..”
“… the ‘president’ doesn’t know that there is a border to the north of the country.” I conjectured.
Conditioned by pompous presidential poppycock, I expected to see drug dealers being separated from their children, but the only thing to mark the frontier was an arch and an obelisk. Nevertheless, I managed to get a photo of someone trying to sneak across the border. Confession: I had to sneak across the border myself to get the photo.
Nazy and I were amazed at how articulate (the lovely) Leandra has become. Less than two years old, she has memorized her Dr. Suess books and she loves being with people. Whenever we see her on FaceTime or WhatsApp, she recognizes us and is asks to see Azelle.
Auriane, less than a month old when we saw her last, is active, curious and strong. She is also in the 95th percentile for height. (Or, as it’s measured for babies: ‘length’.) Nazy will return to Bellingham for another visit in a few weeks.
Here in Santa Barbara, I began talking with Tiger about the ‘Don’ts’:
“Don’t let your pet porcupine play with your favorite balloon.” I said.
“Do another one Dan!” Tiger responded.
“Don’t brush the teeth of a wild lion.”
Arrow, listening, interjected: “Don’t throw your food on the floor.”
“No Arrow!” Tiger responded. “Dan! Do another one.”
“Don’t fill your soccer ball with helium.”
“Don’t forget your lunch when you go to school.” Arrow contributed.
Azelle, now about 9 months old, listened to all of this quietly. She is interested in crawling and standing up or exercising her core competency: smiling.
For last week's letter, please click here
A few more grandchildren photos
Dan and Azelle
Leandra and Auriane
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