Mommy Wrote a Little Something

about my summer and Costa Rica and I'm letting her post it on my blog.

Dear Miss Ruby June,

WHAT A SUMMER. Wow, I can hardly believe it, I am already back at work and students are starting school again in two days, it is August 25, 2008. We had so much fun this summer. You and I took the first two weeks of summer to relax. We walked up and down Burlingame Ave. a lot looking at cute clothes for you. We went to Washington Park and you liked the sounds of the metals posts at the playground and playing with all the other kids. You especially liked the swings and the slide.

We spent the 4th of July flying up to Portland. Gramps and Grammie picked us up at the airport. Daddy only stayed in Raymond for the weekend but you and I stayed for almost two weeks. We were really hoping that Sara would have her baby while we were visiting but baby Henry didn’t arrive until July 27th. While we were in Raymond we saw lots of people. You had fun playing with Macy and the two of you gave each other lots of hugs, which was super cute. You played in the kiddie pool with Macy and Presley Grace and Preslie Kate. You got to meet baby Henry’s cousin MacKenzie who was born just 5 days before you. I think you liked meeting the others kids and you loved running around and especially petting the woof woof dogs.

When we got back from Raymond we relaxed for a few more weeks. Daddy, you, and I went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Mommy tried the garlic ice cream and it was disgusting. It was also super crowded and hot and dusty. It was not the most fun trip ever, but you got a little shirt that says little stinker, I thought that was pretty cute. Then we started gearing up for Costa Rica.

You were such a good girl on all the flights. Thank goodness you are a good traveler because you fly a lot for such a small person. Good thing you fly for free until you are two! Once we got there the guys went and got our rental cars the Yimmy (Jimmy) and the Suzuki. Gramps and Andrew did all the driving because no one else could drive a stick. We spent our first night in a hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica and the next day we drove the mountain road to Dominical. You were a trooper. It was a long trip. Toward the end you got fussy and I started to feel carsick and Katie almost peed her pants. Finally, we were there. It was AWESOME.

You loved playing in the pool every single day we were there and you loved playing in the water at the ocean too. You were constantly on the boogie board and kick kick kicking your feet in the water. You didn’t even mind when we put you all the way under and you learned to hold your breath. We loved sitting on the porch and watching the lightening bugs and the lightening storms, it stormed every day we were there. One night Mommy, Daddy, Katie, and Andrew watched shapes in the clouds. Then the third day we were there we did the most amazing thing, we all went zip lining.

Katie and Andrew have it on video so I can’t wait to show you when you are older. Mommy wore a backpack with you strapped in good and tight and then we zzzzzziiiiiipppppppped through the rainforest canopy. It was so HIGH. I can’t believe you were so brave and you stayed awake the whole time. Also, I think just to make sure she could watch that you were alright, Grammie came too and Gramps. Everybody zipped. It was a long hike and 8 different cable lines, one landed at the top of a tree and you took off on the next one from there!

The next day you played with Grammie and Gramps all day while Mommy and Daddy went horseback riding with Katie and Andrew. Daddy had only been on a horse once before when he was eight so he was a little nervous, but he did great! Mommy was put on a crazy horse because she told them she had “lots” of riding experience. See, bragging is never a good idea, because that horse ran all day and Mommy’s butt hurt a lot for many days. I mean, he RAN, and there was no saddlehorn and Mommy is very surprised she didn’t end up in the river we rode through, or down a cliff or in a cowfield.

On the ride we saw an amazing waterfall and Katie and Mommy couldn’t resist and we climbed up the waterfall using a rope tied to a twig which Mommy didn’t know until she got to the top. The water was falling really hard on Mommy and it was a little scary. Daddy was mad at Mommy for climbing up the waterfall and jumping off but after the climb up the jump was so much fun and wasn’t nearly as scary as the climb. After we jumped Andrew did too, but not Daddy, he thinks we all could have been hurt and he had a bad experience jumping off a cliff once, so no jumping for him.

The day after the horseback riding we all went to the beach. Everyone had lots of fun. You and Gramps were cave exploring and you went in the water with Daddy and Mommy. Everyone applied lots of sunscreen, but at the end of the day Katie and Daddy were pretty burnt. You were alright though, we kept you in the shade a lot.

After all the excitement of those days we spend the next two days chilling out at the house, swimming in the pool, playing lots of cards (you were a big help), and observing the creatures. (Sloths, monkeys, tucans, other birds, tons of bugs, beautiful butterflies, many frogs and toads, one scorpion, a twig bug, a bug leaf bug, a praying mantis, anteaters, and others.) We also ate lots of yummy local food; you love your rice and beans. Also, I think between everyone there you ate about a dozen cookies a day. That’s alright though, it was vacation!

Some of the days we were there you got a little grumpy and Mommy finally figured out you were growing molars and now you have four one on the top and the bottom of each side. The summer Olympics in Beijing, China started while we were there, but we didn’t watch much until we got home.

The day before we left we drove back to Dominical and this time we took the coast road because the mountain road was closed. Gramps called it milkshake avenue. It was an hour and a half of driving on a very rocky and muddy road. Also, there were some “bridges” that were not cool. Grammie was not happy. But we made it, even after we got lost thank to Alamo and their stupid map. We spent our last night in San Jose at the Marriot and flew out the next day. We barely made our connection in Houston, but we did.

You and I had one more week before I went back to school and we had fun playing at home and reminiscing about our trip. I can’t wait to see what you learn how to do next. I’m so happy we were able to take you on this once in a lifetime trip, I know you probably won’t remember it, but we will tell you all about it. You are one lucky girl.

Love,
Mommy


This Mommy person sure has a lot to say. This is MY blog after all, sheesh.