Road Trip

With Matt moonlighting all weekend and the promise of all Birnbaums convening in Des Moines for my dad's 60th Birthday, I worked up the nerve to travel alone with the wild child for the first time. I was armed with a new travel DVD player, different toys, and lots of snacks. We set out at nap time, and 20 minutes into the ride the screaming began. I had a quick talk with myself about the pros/cons of letting the screaming continue, or applying the cure-all (Elmo) early in the trip. I chose Elmo. For the next 3 hours I listened to the same Elmo DVD over and over and over, all the while glancing in the rearview mirror in the hopes of seeing a sleeping child. Jillian wasn't about to miss a second of her red furry friend, so I decided that I was OK with an afternoon of brain-rotting for the sake of my sanity. We arrived safely, only making one stop, and it was for my benefit. Jillian proudly clapped and cheered for me in the gas station bathroom, "Yay, Mommy Poppee (Potty)"! I am such a big girl, aren't I?
All kidding aside, I am so glad we made the trip. We missed Matt terribly, but it was so fun to be with my family and to watch them all enjoy Jillian. She enjoyed them, too. I am pretty sure my dad enjoyed having all of his girls home to celebrate this big milestone birthday.

A little water play was in order on a hot afternoon. Jilly wasn't so sure she wanted to sit in the pool, so she had a little encouragement from John and Aunt Meggie.



Jilly liked playing in the sun room with the shopping cart Grammy has for her. I was watching the Food Network one morning and suddenly Jillian became transfixed with my favorite Food Network chef, Giada DeLaurentiis. She kept watching what Giada was making and saying "Mmmmm". I was filled with joy and hope that perhaps someday she will get over Elmo, and may even appreciate delicious gourmet food.


We all were granted a few minutes of respite from Jilly's busy exploration when she was content to play inside the toy bin


Grandad had some pretty funny glasses that Jilly liked to model


She was quick to offer a kiss when it was his turn to try them on.


As usual, Grammy made lots of delicious food. Jilly got her very first taste of homemade ice cream!


The weekend concluded with a birthday celebration for Grandad. He was kind enough to allow Jilly to help him open his presents.

A great time was had by all!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the ride home was a repeat of the trip down--a napless Elmo-thon with a potty stop for Mom (my little cheerleader made sure to praise my success once again). It could have been much, much worse!