From San Diego we headed North in California to go to Stockton, CA to see Dan's mom — Grandma JoAnn and Grandpa Ron.
Driving through LA was an adventure all its own. We experienced a State Trooper zoom in front of us in traffic and then swerving back and forth across 4 lanes of traffic. Grandma JoAnn and Grandpa Ron knew it was a common occurrence, but for us it was horrifying. But we survived. Just shows California is wacky!
We stopped at fast food Japanese food for udon. The chicken was yummy, the beef was a bit like dirty dish rags, but more adventurous than McDonald's!
After a long drive we got to Stockton about 8pm to delicious homecooked meal. We settled in for our 4 night stay. The Leamazing Race detour choice gave Lea the choice between exploring
University of the Pacific where Ron and JoAnn were married or Sacramento discovering some Gold Rush info. We'll Lea and I had both had enough of driving so the hour drive to Sacramento was ruled out. We enjoyed exploring the University of the Pacific, a beautiful small campus with a music conservatory and a tower. It got Lea talking about how she and her friend Sami could go to school there with their five dogs and two cats as they become a professional singer and a scientist respectively. Good to hear talk of being college bound, even if it contains an over-enthusiastic number of animals. Just for the record, they have decided they would each have two dogs and a cat and then share another dog. So at least they've thought it through. At the University on this day, we visited the tower and the chapel and answered some trivia about their mascot and colors and celebrated their mascot by ending the day with Tiger Ice Cream. We returned the following day to do a Girl Scout Letterbox at Pacific University and then Delta College (where JoAnn earned her degree). Neither Letterbox was as successful as the one in Chandler, AZ. Delta college's letterbox had obviously been removed because we found exactly where the directions lead and University of the Pacific was a painted tiger on the wall instead of a stamp. But walking around the Universities was a good experience.
We spent one day at the pool. Ron's son was kind enough to let us come over and swim even though his family was not home. It was a great pool (so much fun there are no photos!) They had an inflatable jet ski shaped float that had a little motor in it. In the handlebars that actually steered, there was also a water cannon controlled by a button on the handle bars. Lea LOVED the little water scooter. She fired on everyone and played "Sea Ranger" and fined me for "littering in the ocean" and I had to pick up every leaf in the pool — not possible on a windy day! They had two dogs and one got Dan to throw his big yellow toy over and over and over again. It kept them both busy. I think JoAnn would have been happy to have Dan stick with playing with the dog, because once Lea coaxed Daddy in the water, Dan's main objective seemed to be to soak his mom. A splash fight ensued and I think Dan won!
JoAnn got Dan and I tickets to the
Stockton Civic Theater's production of
Spamalot. She worked on sewing some costumes for the theater so she got tickets. Lea stayed with Grandma and Grandpa that night and Dan and I went and had dinner at Dave Wong's Gourmet Chinese. It was very good. The show was impressive too. Usually you have low expectations of community theaters, the leads are usually good, but they settle for the rest of the cast. I have to say everyone was quite good, no weak links. Excellent singing and tap dancing. I suppose throughout California there is talent spillover from LA so there are relatively talented civic theaters throughout the Golden State.
We were worried about Lea going to bed without us since she's been a bit unsure about staying the night anywhere lately. I sent texts to JoAnn every chance I had, at the beginning of the show and intermission to reassure Lea. I guess Lea was still pretty worried about us not being with her, but the promise of a special day with Grandma got Lea to be extra brave. It was very sweet when I got in that night (I was sleeping with Lea because the guest bed was a bit small for Dan and I) I settled in bed and Lea kind of woke up. I said "Mommy is home." She sat up and said "But I don't have any boats," obviously dreaming. Then I could see in her eyes that she kind of woke up and started to recognize me. She later said she thought I was Grandma JoAnn, but then her whole face changed as she recognized that it was mommy. Her eyes grew huge and her mouth tightened in a stifled cry and she said "I was brave!" meaning she went to sleep without us and gave me the tightest hug. It was very sweet.
The next day was Lea's special birthday day with Grandma JoAnn. Mommy was not allowed so I don't know exactly what happened, but from pictures and stories it appears they got Lea's nails done, went clothes shopping at JC Penny and Target, got one gift at Toys R Us — Lea chose Wipeout Wii game which she played as soon as we got home (tough having a present she couldn't play for two weeks! but she loves it!) — and lunch at Mimi's. They also stopped at a park where Lea got her special nickname "Spider Girl" from Grandma JoAnn. The name came when Lea was small from Lea's expert climbing on a big rope net like a spider web on the playground. I should add that this is the first time Lea got her nails done professionally. We've painted them at home, but she's never been to a nail salon so I think it will be an extra special memory for Lea to have Grandma JoAnn take her for her first mani/pedi.
While Lea and Grandma JoAnn were at their special day I searched out post cards. We found a few uninteresting basic California postcards in Walmart where we also restocked for the second half of our trip. But I passed them up because I was told Walgreens had post cards. Alas, after two Walgreens and one different Walmart, I couldn't find a single post card. By that time I was so far from the original Walmart I packed it in and fortunately had a few post cards from Spamalot to send. I certainty didn't send my usual dozen post cards. Silly place not having post cards!
Throughout our visit there were several games played. There was an ongoing game of Monopoly by Lea and JoAnn. I think Dan sat in for a bit on this ongoing game and sent JoAnn to the pour house, but the rules seemed to be interpretive when JoAnn and Lea played. I don't know that any one actually won the game of Monopoly. For all I know it is still set up waiting for another player!
We also played
Tripoli, a game I loved as a kid. My grandparents used to come over and we'd all bet with pennies my parents kept in a big jar. It combines poker, gin rummy and hearts into one big game using all the cards in the deck. However the cards do need to be in order and have all 4 suits. When we stat down to play I dealt the cards from a box marked "complete" but as we began to play it was apparent that there were no red cards in the box. So obviously sorted for pinochle. So we took the second box marked "complete" and made the single deck add up to 52 cards and swore they were right. However as play began both Ron and I had a 10 of hearts. Not quite right. By now Dan was so frustrated I could practically see steam coming off of him. But we got the deck correct and played at least 5 good hands. I think Lea might have won! She got some good poker hands and was a good little bet-ter. I look forward to playing with friends when we get back to Dallas.
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| Fast Japanese Food on the North Side of LA |
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| Udon beef and chicken combo with wings and dumplings. |
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| Yoshinoya, fast Japanese food in LA |
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| Ready for a day in Stockton with Grandma JoAnn and Grandpa Ron. |
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| University of the Pacific |
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| The tower at University of the Pacific |
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| Tiger ice cream after our detour. Lea had Oreo flavor, Dan had peanut butter and I had salted caramel |
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| Ice Cream! |
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| On going Monopoly game with Daisy the Dog. |
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| Fish tacos featuring Rockfish that Dan caught in San Diego |
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| Dan enjoying his catch of the day |
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| The great Tripoli card game |
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| Ad for Spamalot that Dan and I saw on June 25 |
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| Spider Girl! |
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| Lea's special birthday lunch with Grandma JoAnn at Mimi's |
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| Lea getting her nails done |
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| Lea getting her nails done |
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| Letterboxing disappointment — University of the Pacific tiger on the wall |
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| Letterboxing rest |
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| Gifts for Lea's pre-birthday |
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| Fancy toes! She got a design on her big toe. |
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| Showing off her fancy nails |
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| Cake, but not just any cake —Ice Cream cake! and what flavor ice cream, birthday cake flavored ice cream. That's just craziness! |
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| "No Grandpa, its not a 6, you're looking at it upside down!" |
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| Happy pre-birthday girl with happy Grandma |
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| Look at those ribbons of sugar, I mean flavor. |
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| Blue tongues all around |
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| Lea and Daisy ready for their walk. Exactly who walked who is undetermined. |
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| Mom: No, Lea you can't play ipad, its our last night with Grandma and Grandpa. Go see what they're doing and join them — Oh. |
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| Obligatory bubble photos in JoAnn's beautiful backyard |
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| Leaping for joy that we are at Grandma's |
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| Grandma and Lea ready to make bubbles |
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| Look at that laugh. It just lights up the whole backyard! |
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