Monday, October 24, 2011

Weekend Trip to El Dorado

Over the weekend, Sara Kate and I took our first solo trip. Just me and her. No husband, no parents, no pets. Needless to say, I was very nervous about making the trip alone (Chris had to stay back to judge a choir event on Saturday, plus I left Friday morning and he couldn't miss school.). What was I going to do if she started started screaming because the sun gets in her eyes (she HATES that!!!)? What if she gets fussy and tired of riding? How was I going to make a bathroom stop and have her with me? Just a few of the things I thought of. I did have her 'Baby Einstein' videos on my iPad and that was my go-to/last resort trick. We left Fayetteville about 8, after making a very important stop at a certain bakery in town (Rick's) to pick up a certain something for my dad (cake), which he knew nothing about. Didn't Sara Kate look super adorable and fall-ish?? And you can see her hair was sticking up everywhere!!
We headed south, and she eventually took a little cat nap for about 30 minutes, somewhere between Clarksville and Russellville. My plan was to stop in Conway for lunch and possibly find a park for her to run around in. We got to Conway a little earlier than I expected so I searched local parks on my phone, we ran into Wendy's to pick up a little lunch make a diaper change/bathroom stop (which went wonderfully!), and to the park we went! It was still a little cool, but we ate our lunch at a picnic table under a pavilion and then I let Sara Kate do her thing as far as walking/running and playing where she wanted.
She was having great fun and of course, got upset when it was time to leave. We left Conway around noon. My plan of eating and playing worked like a charm because she fell asleep around Little Rock and slept for about an hour. We made the rest of the trip with absolutely no fussing. My girl was just perfect on the trip down!!
Once we got to El Do, we made a quick stop by my parents house to drop off the cake (at which I time I set of the house alarm, which I was told was not on...lovely...), and we went to the new high school to meet mom.
Gran was so excited to see her Sara Kate and wanted to carry her around and show her off, but she got really shy and unsure of her surroundings and just wanted me. So I carried her around and we showed her off! :-) And I got a tour of the new school. It's very nice compared to what we graduated from...old and busted verses new and fresh!!
We spent the rest of the evening at home, just hanging out and enjoying family and a little bit of this!!
You see, I told mom not to make any kind of dessert because I was bringing dad a Rick's cake (he LOVES Rick's!!), but I didn't tell her it was for them both. I had Rick's make it half chocolate and half vanilla to appease both of their tastes, and it even worked out that it said 'mom' on the vanilla side and the chocolate side said 'dad!' Of course, Sara Kate worked all of us for some cake. :-) She hasn't met a sweet thing she doesn't like...definitely her mama's daughter!!
Sara Kate slept in so late Saturday morning!! We set the pack n play up in my brother's room, and I heard her babbling at 7:30. I fell back asleep and woke up at 9 and she was asleep again and didn't get up until 9:40!!! Go Sara Kate!!! Check out her sweet mohawk she woke up with! :-)
We spent the day relaxing and hanging around the house. We read some books, worked a new puzzle (which she learned how to do in 1 day!!), chased the new kitten around (Maggie, the kitten, liked to get in the pack n play!), played ball, played piano, and of course, watched the Hogs play!
Sara Kate even 'talked' to her daddy on the phone!
Then my mom gave her the cordless phone and she would push some buttons and walk around the house 'talking.' It was so cute.
Saturday night my dad grilled burgers and my uncle and aunt came over. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of them with Sara Kate, but she pretty much was just wanting to hang with me. However, she knew she had an audience, and she did ham it up!

Sunday we went to church and then headed to the Arboretum at the old high school to try and take some nice fall pictures. Kind of like our trip to the pumpkin patch, it was quite difficult to take Sara Kate's picture because all she wanted to do was run around and explore. She kept yelling 'didide,' which is 'outside.' I do think I got some cute, though. I'm no pro like my hubby so I was just snapping, while chasing, while trying to pose a busy 18 month old! :-)

First, a look back at Sara Kate in the Arboretum in 2010, when she was 7 months old (and one of my absolute favorite pictures from her first year)...

And at 18 months in the Arboretum in 2011! And the one and only time I got her to sit by a pumpkin!! :-)
A look back at me and Sara Kate in 2010....
And here's me and Sara Kate in 2011! Not real sure what her look is all about. Probably a 'put me down mom, I wanna go explore' look, ha!
And now for a few more cute shots.
I love this picture...the way it's framed, the lighting, the color...go me! :-)This picture is a little blurry but it's too cute not to share. In all her running around, she ran up to this pumpkin to pat it (of course she was only by it a second) and I snapped as quick as I could, hoping the image was in focus. Alas, it was not but it's still cute from afar.
After our trip to the Arboretum, we had lunch, packed up and hit the road. We left about 1:30 and I was just as nervous about the trip back. I didn't know if I should stop and if so, then where, but Sara Kate was asleep as soon as we left my parents neighborhood and she slept all the way through Little Rock (a good 2 hours). And yes, she wanted all her stuffed toys on her! And she cracked me up using that little white cat that was one of my Beanie Babies as a pillow!
She was content when she woke up so I just pressed on. And we made the whole 5 hour trip without stopping and with very little fussing (just a few times before we turned north when the sun was in her eyes)!! I am just so proud of her, the way she was in the car both ways and when we were at my parents she was so good. I know all road trips won't be that perfect, but I am so happy the first one we took alone went well. It might entice me to travel with her again. :-) Mom and dad, we had a great weekend, and thanks for having us! We look forward to seeing you next month!!
When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.
~Joyce Brothers

No comments:

Post a Comment