Although Mimi's not entirely used to her surroundings, she has made great strides in acclimating to the west coast and to the ever-changing schedule presented by house-hunting, visits from friends, and dinners out. There's some routine, though.
Each morning Mimi wakes up around 8:00am. Papa usually comes into her room when he hears what he likes to call "sustained whimpering." It's not a cry, it's just a little "ih-heh, ih-heh" that lasts long enough to let me know she's not going to go back down. Upon entering the room, Mimi will look up, greet me with an "arnghuuuh-aaaahhh," and then hand me her blanket. When I put her to bed each night the last thing I give to her, the only thing she clutches the whole night through, is her blankie. It's rather remarkable that now, when she wakes up, the first thing she does is to give me her blankie back. I think it's Mimi's way of telling me that she's ready for the day.
After pulling her from the pack-n-play we head over to visit Mama, who has most likely already had her shower. Mimi always greets her with a big kiss.
After a little play on the bed - Mimi loves to attempt somersaults and nearly has the move down now - we head over to the kitchen for breakfast. Currently, Mimi has taken to eating for about 13 seconds and then, once her tray is full of food, flinging everything to the floor with both hands. Still showing no preference for one hand over the other, she flings to both sides equally well. Within 30 seconds or so there is a 3 foot circle of refuse surrounding her booster seat. Unfortunately, Sumie and I are almost always within this circle as well. Perhaps this is why we've taken to wearing our PJs until after breakfast.
We've attempted to combat the carnage by placing much less food on her tray and by giving her an opportunity to eat by independently, even it it does mean she'll make a mess of herself. Better her than us is our current motto. She's actually taken to it quite well.
After breakfast it was time to explore the garden with Mama and Grandma. Mimi still isn't much of a fruit eater, she even turns up her nose to strawberries after only a nibble or two, but she loves being outside. Here she is showing us exactly what she wants: out. It amazes me that it only took her a few days to figure out which door held what and how to ask to get outside.
After some heavy lifting in the garden - Mimi sorted basil into piles for a few minutes and then went about "unsorting" them - it was time for a nap. And good thing, too, because we would be meeting Ojichan (Grandpa from New York, who was out on a business trip), Kae, Eddie, and the girls for Dim Sum for lunch.
Although Mimi's been eating less over the past few days she still tends to do well when we go out. At the Dim Sum restaurant she jacked up the bill by tearing through a plate of noodles and then taking down some dumplings. She'd take an occasional break to share a bit of the plunder with Thomas.
Towards the end of the meal she'd had her full and was ready to play with those still finishing their tea. First she cuddled with Ojichan and then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Reber to steal their glasses. I had been worried that Mimi might struggle with the transition to California, so it was reassuring to see that she still remembered Ojichan, even in different surroundings, and that stealing glasses wasn't just some weird kind of personal vendetta she had against her father.
After brunch it was time for a second nap. Everyone else took a picture to celebrate being together in California. Had Mimi been in this one, at this time of day, you could have identified her as the only screaming child.
We closed out the day with a visit from two close friends from our Davis years. The transition to California will have its challenges, but at least we're surrounded by family and friends. It can make all the difference. We gathered at a Mexican restaurant (yes, I've been eating an obscene amount of Mexican food since getting back to California) where Mimi decided she'd dance for everyone's entertainment. It was pretty cute, but not quite good enough. I still had to pay for dinner.
The night came to a close in the usual way. Mimi, Mama, and Papa hung out together on the bed, drinking milk, talking, and then brushing some teeth between somersaults. It's at this time of day that Mimi's vocabulary really comes out. She's taken to repeating almost everything we say. It's remarkable, hilarious, and, for me, dangerous. I really need to clean up my act. Now!
Finally, it was time for sleep. After a change of clothes, a kiss to Mama, and then a wave good night, Papa took Mimi to her room and laid her down. She grabbed her blankie, as always, and headed off to sleep (about 2 very loud minutes after I closed the door). Nice work, Mimi. Despite you're father, you're getting smarter each day!
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