Fun is Hard Work, You Know...

Cheesing for the camera
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Okay, well, the camera hasn't quite been located yet, but I got these pictures from a friend and thought they were worth an entry. Kathleen loves to smile for the camera -- she's actually quite a little ham.

Our unit recently had a small hail and farewell (small since the unit's actually deployed, so it was just wives and the rear-detachment) at a friend's home. Amy's house is one of Kathleen's favorite places to play, because Amy has a nice, big, green backyard and some great toys (like this miniature John Deere). Even better, Amy has two children, Luke and Grace, and along with Kathleen's "best friend" Addie, they ran all over and had a great time. I think everyone had a very good nap that afternoon!

We're still here!

I know it's been a long time since we've posted, so I just thought I'd assure you all that we are, in fact, still here! Our blogging has been delayed by a missing camera (it must be around here somewhere, but really I don't know where) and by a nasty stomach virus. Kathleen and I were both out of commission for almost a week. Yuck! But we're all better now and the hunt is on for the camera. We promise to be posting photos and tales of adventures any day now!

Tea for Two

Lately Kathleen has developed a fondness for tea parties. She had a tea set at her Nan and Grandpa's in California, and she loved to play with it. So, when we returned to the island we started hunting for another tea set for our house. Our search was slightly more difficult than I anticipated, largely because I could only find Barbie tea sets at first and I simply can't feel good about giving my toddler a Barbie anything at this point. (I'll have to wrestle with my Barbie aversion when "all" her friends have them in grade school, I guess.)

Eventually we found a very cute Fisher Price set at the Navy Exchange for only ten dollars, complete with four cups, saucers, spoons, a teapot, creamer, sugar bowl, and even a tray. We could serve High Tea, if required. Of course, the High Tea would likely be interrupted by the playing of "I'm a Little Tea Pot." That's the only downside to this tea set -- it plays that song when you push a button on the tea pot's lid. But eventually the batteries will die and the tea set will be perfect. And for now, we just sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot" more than we used to. (Kathleen does like that song. I'd guess it comes in third on Kathleen's all-time favorites, after "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." She loves songs with hand motions!)

So Kathleen and I serve one another imaginary tea at least twice a day. Sometimes in the afternoon, we head out onto the lanai and Kathleen plays with water in the tea set. (These are exciting times at the Golbys'!) Her pouring skills are improving, but leave a lot to be desired. Basically, she just dumps water on my feet. At least it's warm here!

Kathleen's little friend Addie also has a tea set, and not too long ago the girls got together for a tea party in Addie's front yard. The girls were very serious about their tea, pouring and sipping water again and again. (More "tea" wound up on Kathleen than anywhere else, I'm convinced. I'm not entirely convinced that she understands that it's not actually supposed to be poured on her!) I'm not sure who enjoyed it more -- the girls who actually played tea or the moms who got to watch. We laughed and laughed! It made for a lovely afternoon for all of us.

Festive for the Fourth

Festive for the Fourth
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen and I had a lovely fourth of July. We spent most of the day hanging out at home, saving up our energy for the big outing to see the fireworks on post. We headed out for post at about 6pm, meeting up with friends Kerry and Addie to camp out on Sills Field at Schofield for the festivities. The day had been threatening rain, but fortunately the weather mostly held (there were a few sprinkles -- typical Hawaiian weather). When we got to Sills Field we ran into other friends, too, so Kathleen also got to play with the very sweet and very cute Hendersons, Luke and Grace. The four of them played with some bubbles and tossed around a ball and generally enjoyed running around.

Our spot on Sills Field wasn't great for listening to the program -- the speakers must not have been pointed in our direction or something, because it was difficult to hear the band and the music. It was not, however, difficult to hear the canons! And Kathleen loved the canons! She was a little scared by them at first, but we talked about how they went "BOOM!" and every time after that, she'd yell "BOOM!" and laugh when they fired. Kathleen was also impressed by the fireworks -- not at all like last year when it was hard to tell if she was watching them. She watched them intently.

We only wish Daddy had been with us to see Kathleen's face light up at the fireworks. But even though we were far away from him, his girls were thinking about him all day. We're so proud of him and his soldiers and their service. We can't wait for this deployment to be over. Come home soon, Daddy!

We're thinking about you, Daddy! (All three of us!)

Little Surfer Girl

Checking out the boards
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen and I are back on the island, and we're delighted to be home. Visiting family was great, but it's also nice to be in our own house and back on our own routine. Plus, we got to see Daddy yesterday on a video-teleconference. Hooray! He was impressed by how much Kathleen has grown and changed lately, and we were just impressed to see him. He's doing great!

The day after Kathleen and I got home we were joined by four very fun visitors -- my Aunt Ellen, Wells, Henry, and Alex. They'd been visiting the Big Island, and stopped here on their way home to Connecticut. It took Kathleen about two minutes to warm up to the them, and about two minutes longer to learn the names "Henwey" and "Alets." Kathleen just loves those boys! She also loved bossing them around -- telling them to sit or read a book or whatever. She's certainly got plenty of personality, our girl!

Storytime with the whole gang...

We spent an afternoon and early evening on Waikiki with our guests the day before they left. The boys surfed, and it was apparent that Kathleen wanted to, too. I swear, if we were staying here any longer, Kathleen would be a little surfer girl!

We had a great visit and we hope that Aunt Ellen, Wells, Henry and Alex will come again soon. Thanks for coming, guys!

A Roaring Good Time at the Zoo

Posing on a Tree Frog
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

So, just before we left California, Nan and Grandpa treated us to a day at the Oakland Zoo. This was very exciting for us. We've been to the Honolulu Zoo, of course, but this zoo is larger and nicer, and our adult to child ratio was 3:1 (a treat for Mama if there ever was one)!

Kathleen was delighted by the zoo from the moment we walked in. She immediately spied the flamingos and their watery habitat and didn't stop talking about "birds" and "water" for a good five minutes. She happily trotted all over the zoo, watching the children and the animals with equal interest. She seemed particularly impressed by the chimpanzees and gorillas climbing and swinging all over, the alligator chilling on the bottom of his tank, the lizards and little yellow tree frogs, and the turtles, both in the water and on land. She was also quite taken the with fruit bats (there was a horde of them), which Mama frankly found very, very creepy.

Checking out the Giraffes
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

The zoo also has a train, which we didn't ride but Kathleen loved nonetheless. The train must have passed us every three or four minutes, and each and every time Kathleen would stop whatever she was doing to yell, "Toot-toot!" and make the sign for train. She found the train no less exhilarating the thirtieth time it passed than she did the first. (The same could not be said of the rest of Kathleen's entourage.)

The day of fun and sun and animals gave Kathleen an enormous appetite (she wolfed down 3/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich) and fantastic afternoon nap. Thanks for another great adventure, Nan and Grandpa!

No Space Available for Us!

Reading
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Well, Mama's grand plan to get the Golby girls home via space-available seats on Air Force flights from Travis to Hickam AFB had at least one flaw... As it turn out, the California schools began summer vacation just one day after we missed our commercial flight. The space-available flights out of Travis have been packed, and Kathleen and I haven't had a chance to get on one. Not even close!

But we've been completely enjoying our extra time here in California. We've been able to do some really fun things! We took a trip into San Francisco to check out the Embarcadero Center and the (newly remodeled -- well, new in the sense that it happened since I left for college, anyway) ferry building for lunch and people-watching.

Hi, Zach!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Another day we traveled to Walnut Creek to visit our friends Jenny and Zach (Kevin was at work, so we didn't get to see him). Jenny and her husband Kevin lived in Munich when we lived in Schweinfurt, and the last time Jenny and I saw each other, Kathleen and Zach were teeny-tiny babies-to-be. Only a month apart in age, the kids played together really well. They had a great time with all the toys in the backyard! So, not only was it great to for me and Jenny to catch up, it was also fantastic to watch Kathleen and Zach play together.

In another throw-back to our days in Germany, Kathleen and I visited the Ikea in Emeryville this week. It was a little surreal for me -- I kept expecting things to be in German, and I kept wanting to say Ee-kay-a, like Germans do! Kathleen loved trying out the toddler-sized tables and chairs and all the other fun kids things. While we were there, Nan got a little tent, which has become Kathleen's favorite hideout. She drags her toys inside, hosts tea parties inside, and reads books inside. She also occasionally commands attendance a tea party. Nan, Grandpa, and Mama have all been commanded to "sit" in the tent!

I Love to sweep!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Otherwise, we've been keeping plenty busy at Nan and Grandpa's house. We take walks, push the button to call the elevator, swim in the pool, and color with our magic color markers. Kathleen has discovered the broom and likes to "help" sweep the kitchen. She also realized that the wagon isn't only good for riding in... it's good for pulling. She has insisted on pulling it, even when it is completely loaded down with groceries and must weigh far more than she does! Always independent, Kathleen refuses any help at all!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Mama has begun to have terrifying visions of delivering the next baby Golby in the passenger terminal at Travis AFB, still waiting for a flight. Consequently, we finally purchased some tickets to head home to Oahu on Monday. Before we know it, we'll be back to real life on the island... no thanks to the Air Force! (We're mostly kidding, just for clarity. We know we have no right to expect space-available travel, and that we're not even close to the Air Force's mission. We know, we know!)

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

We spent the day with Grandpa O'Connor and celebrated not only Father's Day, but Auntie Caroline's birthday. The morning started off quietly, as everyone perused the Sunday paper.

You can tell that Kathleen really loves her Grandpa, and wants to be just like him. After we read the news, Daddy called. That was the best part of our Father's Day. Later in the day we celebrated with a special dinner and cake, and that was fun and tasty, too!

But even though our day was lovely, we really missed Daddy. We do, after all, have the best Daddy ever, and we wish we could have been together to celebrate as a family. We were really happy to be able to talk (or in Kathleen's case, babble) to Daddy on the phone, though. That was a big blessing. Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you and we miss you and we can't wait to have you home. Hopefully your presents will get to you soon...

Gymboree Fun

Slam Dunk!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We tested out our first Gymboree class last week. We'd been to Gymboree to play before (for an open, play-gym session -- you may have seen the photos on flickr), but never for an official class. Nan and Auntie Caroline both raved about the class and the teacher, so Kathleen and I went to scope it out.

Kathleen absolutely could not care whether we attended a "class" or not. She just wanted to play on all the fun equipment. She climbed up ladders, slid down slides, burrowed her way through tunnels, and tested every rocker and teeter-totter in the building! The teacher was encouraging children to jump from one of the play structures, but Kathleen wasn't remotely interested in that. The play structure had a a slide, and if one could slide, why would one jump? Kathleen was particularly enamored of the toddler-sized basketball hoop. As soon as she saw it, she was perfecting her dunk.

Kathleen is a very physical little girl, and it seems that she'll be rather athletically-inclined. Honestly, she seems so interested in all things athletic that if I hadn't been there when she was born, I might wonder whether she is actually related to me. (If you ask Jim and my father, they'll tell you about how Kathleen watched -- truly moved her head to watch -- a Duke basketball game when she was only one day old.) She loves to run, to throw, to kick. In fact, those words have been some of the most recent additions to her vocabulary. It's hysterical to watch her run and kick a ball as she yells her version of "kick" the whole time. "Ball" is another one of Kathleen's favorite words, and she will repeat it over and over and over again as she plays. In fact, "kick" or "throw" is a pleasant reprieve from Kathleen's "ball" mantra!

So, although we might not be back for a class at Gymboree, until Kathleen's old enough to be enrolled in organized sports, we're going to be spending a lot of time running around playing our own versions of "sports." Look for us at the park. . . or on a patch of lawn . . . or maybe even in Nan's living room!

How Could We Go?

Studying Train Town
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Because we don't want to fly with head colds (which we STILL have) and because no one ever wants to leave the fun that is Nan and Grandpa's, we're actually going to stay in California just a little longer. Kathleen has finally adjusted to being here -- she's sleeping normally and she runs to get hugs and kisses from her grandparents and has even allowed Mommy to slip out for a few moments of alone time. Plus, we want to spend more time with Aunt Caroline and meet up with some of the friends we wanted to see, but didn't manage to because of our sickies. In a last minute decision, then, we'll be in California until we're well. Thank goodness for the Air Force and Space-A, because we'd never be able to afford this extended vacation otherwise!

Keeping Busy in California

So, despite Kathleen's horrific cold (which she lovingly passed on to me), we've been keeping fairly busy here in California. Well, to be completely accurate, we sort of alternate between being busy and being not-busy. We'll have a couple days we spend just resting at my parents' house, and then we'll get out and do something fun for Kathleen. Not that there isn't fun for Kathleen at my parents' house. They've made sure there's plenty to do! There's a doll house, which Kathleen loves; she pushes and pulls all the dolls through the front door. And there's a baby doll, and lots to pretend with -- a toy stroller, a toy highchair, a toy bottle, and plenty of blankets. And there's a rocking horse that Kathleen rides like a champion.

But even with a rocking horse, there's only so long a toddler (even a toddler with a cold) can be stuck indoors!

On one of our get-out-of-the-house adventures we visited a park that my family used to visit when I was growing up. The park has been completely redone since then, and now it features a neat little water-play area. It was a really warm day, and Kathleen took to water-play like, well, like a fish to water!

Another day, when Kathleen was mostly well and I was marginally well, we joined my sister Caroline and twins Sophie and Daniel at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. It was a great, busy outing for Kathleen. She got to climb through all sorts of exhibits -- bounce on waterbed-like "lilypads," squirm through tunnels, make things bubble and squeak -- and play with (well, near) other children. And after all that fun, we had a tasty, if chilly, lunch overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

And then, this weekend, Nan and Grandpa took Kathleen to Train Town in Sonoma. I wasn't feeling well, but the marvelous thing about being with grandparents is that there are people to help out. So, even though I went to Train Town, too, it was definitely the Nan and Grandpa show!

We all rode the miniature train together. Kathleen wasn't completely sure about it at first, but she warmed up quickly and enjoyed watching all the fun things we passed. The train stopped at the petting zoo, which she loved. It amazes me that Kathleen isn't afraid of the animals, or even of feeding them. When the train ride was done, we took Kathleen on her first spin on a carousel. She had her very own horse, and I stood beside her the whole time. She was nervous and a little squirmy until the carousel started up, but when the horse began to move up and down, she just beamed. I tried to capture her glee, but coordinating a hand on Kathleen to steady her and managing the slow camera proved too much for me. All I managed was this shot after the ride... but it's her first carousel ride, preserved.

But a Cold Sounds so Innocuous

Since we've returned to California from Illinois, Kathleen has had a cold. Kids get colds all the time, I know. I also know that some children get far more serious illnesses, and I really am grateful that my daughter is as healthy as she is. That having been said, "Kathleen has had a cold" does not nearly communicate the misery that is my sick toddler.

Kathleen has had a seriously runny nose and a cough worthy of a tuberculosis ward. They've been so distressing to see or hear that we even tried giving Kathleen some cold medicine, despite having read an article in the New York Times a few months ago linking infants' and children's cold medicines to strokes (because I really needed another thing to worry about). Our affair with cold medicine was short-lived, however, because as far as I could tell it didn't stop the runny nose or the coughing, but instead made Kathleen slightly more miserable than she'd been without it. And making Kathleen more miserable was really going some.

When Kathleen's sick, she doesn't sleep more, she sleeps less. She'll simply refuse to nap and then will wake earlier and earlier in the morning. So her discomfort is complicated by pretty severe sleep deprivation. That makes for a very whiny, unhappy toddler. And an unhappy toddler makes a very unhappy mommy.

Kathleen must have known that I was just about to leave her out for the gypsies, because she has finally started to recover, at least a little. She's begun eating again (thankfully my baby is large enough to carry a five or six-day hunger strike without much impact). After she began to eat, she began to sleep a bit more and whine a bit less. And, so though she's still very sniffly and cough-y, Kathleen's acting much more like herself. Thank goodness for that!

A Big Week for Daddy

While Kathleen and Mommy and the next-Golby-to-be were cruising around Illinois, Daddy was having a pretty big week in Iraq. We thought that, even though this page is supposed to be about what it's like to grow up as a Golby, we'd take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to share a little bit about what the head of our household's doing.

On Monday Daddy took command of a company of about 170 soldiers. (I'm leaving out the details about which unit, since technically I'd need permission from his commander, and I'm not sure that it would matter to most our dear readers, anyway. Feel free to e-mail if you want the full scoop.) Thanks to the miracle of technology, we had photographs of the change of command ceremony by Monday evening. Here's Daddy taking the guidon from his battalion commander:


We're really, really proud of him!

The very next day was Daddy's birthday. His first full day of command AND his birthday. I don't think you get to enjoy your birthday very much when you've just taken command of a company... But Daddy reported that the First Sergeant and the training room made sure he had some pizza and cake, and that the birthday box we'd sent arrived in time. That might be all you can hope for when you're deployed on your birthday.

Even though Daddy couldn't celebrate much, we did some celebrating on his behalf while we were Illinois. We made his favorite kind of cake, and got the "other" Jim Golby and all the grandkids to pose with it:

We enjoyed the cake, but we'd have enjoyed it a whole lot more if Daddy had been with us!

And as if that weren't enough for one week, today is our fifth anniversary. Funny how deployment can seem so long, when it hardly seems possible that we've been married five years...

We love you and we miss you, Daddy! We can't wait for you to come home to your girls.

Crazy for her Cousins

Kathleen's new favorite word-sign combination is "cousins." We'd been in Illinois for about twelve hours (and for most of that she'd been asleep) when she started using the sign for cousins and a very strong "C" sound to indicate those amazingly fun children who seemed nearly as excited about her as she was about them.

Our adventure to the midwest was great fun. We got to see Kathleen's Golby grandparents and her aunts and uncles and, of course, the cousins. We stayed the first few days in Dwight, with Aunt Katherine, Uncle Eric, Sarah, Ethan, Melissa, and Kathleen's newest favorite canine, Belle. While in Dwight we had gorgeous warm weather, and we took full advantage of the sunshine. Here are Kathleen and her Aunt Katherine relaxing in the backyard:

There was a lot more playing in the backyard with the cousins; Kathleen loved the swingset and all the people to help her with it. We also watched Melissa's t-ball game (she got three hits!) and had a cookout with the whole family. After the cookout we had the opportunity to go the gymnasium where cousins Sarah and Melissa take tumbling and gymnastics. Melissa's class gave an exhibition, and after that Sarah showed off some of her skills, too. (The last time Jim and I saw her compete we weren't even married! We'll have to make it to some meets when we move back to the mainland.) Kathleen even got to try out some of the equipment, which delighted her. Here she is practicing for the 2020 summer Olympics:

After our time in Dwight, we jumped into a minivan with Uncle Craig, Aunt Margaret, Matt, Alison, and Elizabeth and moved to Kewanee. There, we continued to play outside in the sunshine. Here's Kathleen shooting some hoops with her cousins:

We all went to mass together, ate out together, had some more cookouts, and played and laughed a lot. Aunt Annie came up from Peoria and added to the fun -- especially when she brought along her Wii for everyone to try out! We had a delicious lunch in historic Bishop Hill with the grandparents, Aunt Margaret, and Rosie Pratt. Kathleen loved racing around the house with the doll stroller and climbing in out of the play house. She also loved riding around the neighborhood in the wagon, as her cousins pulled her. She and her co-conspirators agreed to pause for a quick photo:

If Kathleen looks slightly less smiley in her photos than usual, that's only because she was truly exhausted. She ran herself ragged with her cousins and wasn't willing to miss a minute of playing with them, even for a nap. Of course, that exhaustion worked out pretty well for Mommy, since Kathleen slept for almost two hours on the plane back to San Francisco!

Thanks to the whole family for making our visit to Illinois such a success. As always, it was too short! We miss you already and can't wait until the four of us can come back to visit together.

Mother's Day

Mom, Kathleen, and a wagon
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Our little family spent last Mother's Day at the polo field on Oahu's North Shore... It was a beautiful day and an amazing way to spend my very first Mother's Day. I knew that this year would be different with Jim away, and a part of me dreaded it a little. But even though we missed him very, very much, he and my family made this Mother's Day very special, too.

Jim somehow managed (even though he's in the midst of change-of-command inventories) to have purchased an incredible collection of potions and lotions and other goodies from Origins and have them sent to my parents' house, along with some framed photographs of me and Kathleen. The gifts made me feel so pampered! But even better than the presents was that Jim managed to call. Being able to talk to him and hold our little girl (girls, really, I suppose) was the best gift of all. My parents were equally generous in recognizing my second Mother's Day, and we, along with my sister Caroline and her husband Craig, enjoyed a very tasty brunch.

This afternoon Grandma, Kathleen, and I took a walk with the wagon. Kathleen loved being pulled around and seeing the other folks out walking their dogs, riding their bicycles, and enjoying the sun and views of the San Francisco Bay. After walking for a while, we stopped and Kathleen ran off a bundle of energy, kicking her ball. (I can hardly wait until she's old enough to enroll in youth soccer. She's a natural, which obviously comes from her father, and not from me!) Kathleen also discovered ladybugs, which fascinated her. She loved letting the ladybug crawl along her arm and laughed when the ladybug tried to fly away but instead ran into her cheek - twice! When the ladybug was finally successful in its escape, Kathleen inspected the grass quite intently, hoping to find another. She makes me laugh!

Kathleen is such a joy to me. She's funny and inquisitive and sweet and stubborn and fiery and smart. Being her mother is more of a blessing and more of a challenge than I ever could have dreamed. And each morning when I pick up my smiling, giggling girl and each evening when I snuggle and sing with my tired toddler, I know that this is the best and hardest job in the world, the only one I've ever wanted, and the only one I'll ever really love.

We Made It!

A Plane!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen and I successfully made the trip from Oahu to Northern California... There were some stressful (and exhausting) moments, of course, but overall our journey was extraordinarily smooth.

Kathleen was very excited to be in the airport, as it was filled with fascinating people and giant windows for watching planes. She was equally excited to be on the airplane -- at least at first! We were blessed to have a seat for her, so she was strapped into her comfy carseat for all but maybe ten minutes of the flight. She napped for about an hour and a half (what a huge relief for Mama!), and played nicely with her toys for the rest of the trip. The biggest challenge was retrieving the toys that Kathleen dropped; it's getting more and more difficult to lean over my own stomach!

As smooth as the trip was, we were thrilled to get off the plane and find Grandma and Grandpa O'Connor waiting for us at baggage claim. (Reinforcements! Hooray! ) We're grateful to have had a safe trip and hope that we're equally blessed when we fly to Illinois next week.

Growing Up Too Quickly...

Kathleen and Joshua
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen is growing more quickly than I ever could have imagined. Every day she becomes more independent; every day she looks and acts more like a toddler. She's using a few words, although she still prefers to sign. So far, her favorite words are hat, sit, cat, car, and ball. She also makes an impressive "woof-woof" sound when she sees dogs, and "ack-ack" (quack-quack) for ducks. She climbs into and out of every chair she sees, unassisted. When I lay Kathleen down at night in her crib, she happily waves goodbye when I close the door. I've recently begun putting her wispy blonde hair into little pigtails, which makes her look even older -- at least to me.

On Sunday, Kathleen played in the church nursery during worship. When I left her there, she didn't cry at all, which delighted me. (She's been extremely reluctant to leave me lately.) When I returned to pick Kathleen up, I was equally delighted to find that she was still playing happily. Kathleen was sitting at a little table with her friend Joshua and, as I walked in the nursery door, she leaned across the table and kissed Joshua right on the lips! That's when I knew that she was growing up far too quickly for me!!

Life's a Beach

Snacking at Ko Olina
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

This photo is from last week, but Kathleen and I spent the day at Ko Olina again today. We don't have any photographs from today's adventure, but it looked a lot like last week's. (We even wore the same clothes! A swimsuit and a sunhat are always acceptable at the beach!)

Today we went to the beach with our friend Amy and her children Luke and Grace, who are five and three. Kathleen just loved following Luke and Grace around, and she tried to do everything they did. She loved sitting in the wagon with Grace and she tried to swim in the water just like Luke! Kathleen certainly isn't letting her age hold her back!

The day was sunny and breezy - perfect for sitting on the sand or playing in the water, and we did both. We saw some snails and some fish and even a little hermit crab. We had lots and lots of fun, and when we came home, both Mama and Kathleen had a nice, long afternoon nap!

Lots to Show For It!

Watching Grampa on the Ladder
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's O'Connor grandparents were here for a little more than a week, and the Golby girls have lots to show for it! Grampa worked really hard to get all sorts of projects done for us. I can't even begin to list them all here, because there are just too many. Kathleen was fascinated by Grampa working, and followed him around without fail. Grampa worked on something every single day, and just about everything in our little home works or looks (or works AND looks) better for his having been here. Kathleen's proudly showing off our newly painted bathroom:

Look at our new bathroom!

Gram and Leenie
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We had a lot of fun with Gram, too. Kathleen was excited not only because Gram and Grampa brought fun new toys (like the extra keyboard and the tunnel and the best bubbles ever), but because there were new people to show her other toys to, too! And because Gram was around and could help distract Kathleen in the store, Mama even managed to try on and buy some new maternity clothes. (And thank goodness, because the next Golby girl seems to be growing a lot, and the maternity clothes from winter in Kentucky just won't cut it here!)

We are so, so grateful for all the help we received from Gram and Grampa. And we're excited that we'll see them again so soon. Before we know it, the Golby girls will be flying to California for even more time with the O'Connors!

Grandparents are Fun!

Fun in a tunnel
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's O'Connor grandparents arrived on the island yesterday, and Kathleen has been absolutely thrilled to have them around. She was shy with them as she greeted them at the airport, but the shyness seemed to wear off within the first hour. Kathleen likes to ask her Gram to read to her. She likes to watch Grampa working on his projects and waves whenever he enters the room.

Kathleen has discovered that grandparents are great for gifts -- and that her grandparents have brought some particularly fun new toys. The big favorite so far is the collapsible fabric tunnel. It folds down into a neat little ring, and Kathleen knows what it is whether it's extended or not. If it has been put away, she'll pull it out and ask for help until it's extended across the living room floor. She sits in it, she crawls through it, she tosses the ball in it, she rolls (pushes or kicks) the entire tunnel back and forth across the living room floor. She has even figured out how to make it roll while she's inside it!

Kathleen's not the only one who has been delighted by the O'Connor visit. It's a great big treat for Mommy, too! Last night while Mommy gave Kathleen a bath, the dinner dishes were magically washed and the toys were magically put away on their shelves. There were no chores left by the time Kathleen went to bed. It felt like a spring break vacation! And as if that weren't enough, Grampa has already been hard at work on projects around the house. He painted the spare bathroom today. It looks beautiful! The Golby girls are very lucky, indeed!