The Rayes' Blog: Swim Lessons and our Weekend Getaway

So the swim lesson last Wednesday went really well. Ava is growing accustomed to the routine of undressing (we actually cheat and arrive with our swimsuits on to save on time), showering before we get in the pool (here again we cheat and just look like we rinsed our entire bodies off), and then wait with our new friends until the senior citizen water aerobics class ends. Ava did really really well and only cried when the instructor has us put the babies on the side/edge of the pool to encourage them to jump into our arms. Ava was NOT happy with this part. She does love when we get in a circle and sing "swim" songs to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" her fave. She is blowing bubbles, splashing and thinking about kicking. She actually like when I support her so she can float on her back. The funniest part is when parent and child go from the wall to the lane divider (the long buoyant thing that makes lanes) and back again. Most child reach the divider and smack it with their hand but not Ava. Why smack when you can kiss. And that is exactly what she does.

On Friday, Steve Ava and I embarked on a trip to Homer, AK (the Acapulco of Alaska). We left waaaaay later then we expected and got into town at 6:45. We checked into our cottage and headed to a WONDERFUL restaurant called Cafe Cups. We committed the cardinal sin of dining out with baby....delaying ordering until we were settled and had time to look over the menu. In hindsight we should have told the waitress upon entering the restaurant to bring whatever the cook could make in under 15 minutes. As it was, by 8:00 p.m. Ava was barking like a dog at the top of her lungs and yelling out "Wags! "Wags!". Steve had the most excellent idea of having our food wrapped up to go and that is exactly what we did.

The cottage was very quaint and cozy and had a great view of Kackemak Bay. The owner, who lived next door brought us homemade cookies. We went for a little hike and ordered take-out from the same restaurant. We read books and even watched the original Wizard of Oz on t.v. Ava was mesmerized (Apparently she took in more than I thought because today, back at the ranch, she kept saying "Auntie Em!" "Auntie Em!")

On Sunday Ava woke up a wee bit early so we decided to just pack our things up early and head back and make the most of the day. It was actually really nice to get on the road at that hour as once you get behind a string of cars it is impossible to pass and you are stuck that way for hours. So there we were cruising along in the dark at around 8:30 a.m. when the car in the opposite direction turned on its lights....and no they weren't the headlights. It was the Five-O.

As the trooper approached our truck he saw Steve, me (behind in my quota of caffeine) and Ava in the back seat. We had strapped our little critter in her car seat, still in her pajamas and her hair was all askew. If ever there was a time for her to say "hi" but no such luck. I think she was too busy hanging on EVERY word she heard. The trooper approached the car, Wiggles playing on the stereo and asked Steve "so, uh, you in a hurry?" He was nice about the whole thing and let us off pretty easy. As we said our goodbyes and Steve was rolling up the window Ava says "Daddy.....ticket!.....slow doooowwn" Steve laughed and said "yes Ava, Daddy got a ticket".

The rest of the drive was uneventful albeit COLD. The car temp gauge read -20 degrees (yes, minus) along the way.

Here are some fun photos of our trip....