Back to Cali

Jack, Casey, and I are back in Mammoth Lakes. The latter part of our trip to Idaho was a whirlwind of family get-togethers. My sister Val (a.k.a. "T.T.," for Jack) flew in for a few days. Of course, we had to go up to Moscow to get the boys together again. We went into Hodgins Drug in downtown Moscow to peruse all the wonderful vintage toys; Jack bawled when I pried him away from the train table.

Due to Jack's obsessive love for trains, my mom thought we should take him to the "Train Park" in Lewiston. Again, when we left, he cried. I'm talking oodles, buckets, of tears. We'll take him back this Christmas, when the train and all the trees are heavily strung with glittering lights, and carols blare from loudspeakers. He saw it two years ago, when he was a newborn... but I don't think he remembers. ;-)Saturday morning, the Gibler family, never one to attend a rodeo, decided to partake in at least one Lewiston Roundup festivity: the parade downtown. Sorry, all my Manteca and Lathrop friends, but your parades ain't got nothin' on the Lewiston Roundup parade! It featured a dizzying array of horses, trucks, bands, and floats. Jack has been in several parades, riding in a stroller alongside his daddy's junior high band, but this is one of the first he has observed from the sidelines.

Jack's strategy for parade-watching is as follows:

1. Crouch in the street, a few feet from Mama, as the parade participants coast by.

2. Point at the fire engines, and then at toy fire engines packed in the diaper bag.

3. Watch as the older, more experienced, kids run into the street to get pieces of candy that are thrown from floats.

4. At Mama's prodding, pick up pieces of candy that land nearby.

5. After picking up candy, throw back down on the ground, just as people on the floats did.

6. Also at Mama's request, place candy in Auntie Callie's plastic bag, for Cousin Tobin to devour later.

7. Later, fall victim to sneaky older girl--a complete stranger--who holds out a plastic bag. Throw candy into her bag. Watch Mama laugh.

8. Take requisite photo with the grandparents.

Sunday was Grandparents' Day, and Marisa orchestrated a lovely brunch, which we ate on the patio. Yet again, we all pigged out, and lazed around all afternoon. The next morning, both T.T. and I left town. Good-bye, my lovely home state...