Sister Time!

My sister had a late spring break this year (she's a 6th grade teacher at a private school in Santa Ana) and we decided we needed some major sister time. It didn't take much convincing for me to decide that going to visit her in California was the best plan. It has felt like a very long winter up here (for more reasons than just weather, of course) and I jumped at the chance to take just Caleb for a week in the sunshine with my little sis.

About the time I decided to head her direction, Leah decided she needed to see our little brother, Ethan, play tennis at the University of Montana. So she flew to Spokane Thursday night, drove to Montana with our parents for a little tennis weekend, and then she came back to the Kan. We spent one day together with Clara before boarding a plane late Monday night (just Caleb, Leah and I) for the OC for the week. Whew!

It ended up working out perfectly. She got to see Ethan and my parents. And she got to see the Claranator (ie, spend the entire day with her while I packed, fought off a bad cold, took Caleb to the doctor because I was afraid he had an ear infection, and attempt to get life in order). Plus, we got to travel on the plane together, which was a nice bonus! Just a couple activities she enjoyed with the Clara girl...

Our time together in California was so great. We literally had nothing on the agenda before the trip. We just wrote a small list of a few things we wanted to do together once I got there. Like eat out at some fun places. Walk along the beach every day. Shop leisurely (I can't begin to remember the last time that happened). Get pedicures. And so that is what we did...

And I'm not joking when I say that my brain literally shut off for four days. I'm serious. I was responsible for keeping my four month old son alive and that is basically it. I never knew which direction we were traveling. I never remembered which drinking glass was mine (I swear I used about seven different glasses each day). I can't tell you where we parked. Ever. And I don't think I even lifted a finger to help Leah make dinner two nights in a row (I was nursing, I swear, and she's fast!). It was such a wonderful break. And only reminded me how much I miss my sister. I hate living far from her. HATE it. Someday we will live close, I hope.

And while I was away, Miss Clara had the time of her life. She was with her nana, grammy, and daddy. Of course she was in heaven. She did MOPS with nana. A baseball game with her grampy. And a whole "day" of kindergarten with grammy. And on Jonathan's day off work during the week, he somehow fit in a bike ride, time at Mobius, the carosel downtown, swimming at the Y, a track meet of a cousin, and dinner with grandparents. No wonder everyday life has seemed a little lame to the Clara girl ever since. Sheesh.

The pictures my mom took almost make me teary. She looks so big!