Our Cali Trip Day 2

Day two was a day filled with Captain Destructo antics... at least the first part of the day. Gummie and Guppy don't wake up until later in the day, but were awakened when we just couldn't keep the kids in our bedroom any longer. We visited with them for a while and Captain explored EVERYTHING. We tried to help keep him away from stuff he couldn't have. He got just as frustrated as we did with being told No, no, no, no. Less than five minutes after Gummie said that he wouldn't be able to break anything in the house, he pulled a hurricane lamp with a painted glass shade off of its perch on a table in the living room. We didn't figure that he would be able to reach the lamp, but it escaped our minds that he could reach the doily that was under the lamp. We were terribly sorry that that happened, but that kind of set the tone around the house. Gummie never baby-proofed her house when her kids were growing up, but Captain is used to a house where everything that is left out or that can be opened or moved around is available for him to play with. Not so much at the Great-Grandparent's house. We chased him around until we just couldn't take it anymore and then suggested that we go find something to do... like a park or even the Wal-Mart. We ended up going to Idyllwild which is a true artist community in the mountains in Southern California.
When I say in the mountains, I mean in the mountains. Poor Fundi was pretty green when we finally reached the town. We had intended on getting some lunch up there and not spending all that much time in the galleries because Galleries+Kids=Expensive Broken Stuff but when we got there, Fundi was not interested in eating at all, but because I had driven and was not sick at all, I was starving. We ended up walking around for a while and then going to eat at a small town cafe. The food was really good and they boasted that if there was something you were craving, just ask, and they would see what they could do for you. Fundi got a soup, I got chicken strips and fries and Captain got milk. It was still pretty warm 5280 feet up, but it was cooler than it had been in the desert. After lunch, we walked around and found a gallery that we really like the work in. We bought three pieces of art and arranged for them to be shipped to us. (We are really into art and particularly like to have art in our home that people we know have made or purchase art from places that we visit and are able to actually talk with the artists.)
About then was time to head back down the mountain. The same 18 miles that allowed us to climb the 3500 feet from the desert allowed us to descend as well. Now, this road was a little over a car and a half wide and most of it was carved through large boulders or close to the edges of steep drop-offs. The views were amazing, but getting there wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

After slowly wiggling our way back down the mountain (I'm not as familiar with the road as others, obviously, and I was passed at least 50 times on the way down.) we went out to Chinese food with Gummie and Guppy. The food was very tasty and the visiting was very nice. I even got to attempt Spanish conversation with a man who was sitting at a table across from us with two young children. (I am one of those people who enjoy talking to other people with kids, even if I don't know them at all.) Captain enjoyed the food and especially liked the vanilla pudding (this was a first).

Through it all, Burbles was a good spectator. She observed and observed some more. She also started being stranger wary that day and has continued crying if anyone other than mom holds her pretty much since we arrived in California.

That night was bath night, and the following photos are of Gummie helping with Captain's bath. I think that it was after 9pm when the baths began, which means that it was 11pm our time, but at that point, I think both kids were running pretty well on Cali time. Meals and naps and bed-time all fell into place and they seemed to adjust to the time change better than Fundi and I.