Making way for Zach!

Zach has learned to assert himself -- and his many whims -- upon all of us who adore and dote on him. Case in point: Our recent trip to Bakersfield. Zach refused all his mothers pleas for sleep during the long trip, and demanded stories the entire flight. Both legs. 4 hours and 352 repetitions of "Spot in the Garden" later, we were in Bakersfield.


For the next few evenings, Zach experimented with behavioral modification. Specifically, testing the theory that if one cries at systematically shortened intervals throughout the night, will mom's response time be quickened? The short answer is yes, but when he found himself being held upside down at 2 a.m. by a very discombobulated mother, he terminated the experiment. (Til we returned to Austin; he has now picked up where he left off. If mommy isn't right next to him, he is executing his most maddening howl.)


Throughout our visit, Zach enjoyed using and abusing Nana's collection of Chevron cars. They are particularly fascinating, because not only do they have wheels that spin, but eyes that shift around when the car moves. Very tricky. Nana was easily moved into buying another, just for his amusement.
Exploring Nana and Papa's yard was of utmost importance during our visit... until he discovered that they have neighbors. Then, it was most imperative that he walk up to each and every neighbor's door and hope that a door would open for him. Thanks for being his escort on these tours, Bop-pa.






Zach was able to visit many of his pals while in Bako, though I failed to get photos most days. On his last day, we cruised over to see Wil's family. Lucky for us, Rory also stopped by to pick up Wil's dad on her way back to San Diego, and all three got to romp for a bit while the dads watched the final moments of the masters tournament. Wil made an effort to gain control of the camera, while Rory tried to ignore the papparazzi.


On our way out of town, I tried to get a photo of Zach with his Nana and Papa, but again he asserted his will and we had to settle for a scowl instead of a smile. His willful ways continued throughout our journey home, though in this instance, I am not complaining....






We had a 2 hour layover in LAX. I procured a SmartCart shortly after we landed, hoping that I could just pop him in, load up our many belongings and go for a long stroll. Zach had better plans in mind. I loaded up the cart, and he insisted on pushing. No help. For an hour and a half. OK, so I occasionally steered him clear of a major collision, but I did none of the work. And here I thought it was a burden to travel with a small child! Child labor laws my butt, children LOVE to work!!!


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