The Angels

Labor Day weekend found us enjoying the golden rays of Los Angeles with dear friends.

BEACH
Saturday, was, of course, spent at the beach. Luke and Chrissy have a little angel of their own, Naomi, who is just a little younger than Jonah. So between the two families, we had more than an adequate number of beach toys; but no amount of toys could help me build a sandcastle. My efforts were completely fruitless--each perfect rampart that emerged from my overturned bucket was immediately crushed by Jonahzilla. He did not seem to derive any pleasure from this activity, he just coldly and methodically decimated my every creative attempt. Eventually, I left him to his own devices, and he spent the next ten minutes moving water from one bucket to the other and back using a plastic shovel. He would have gone on longer in this very important endeavor had James not dragged him along to play in the surf.

This was when Jonah found out he loves the ocean. The water there was warmer than it is here in the North, additionally the weather was warmer, thus making the cool water a relief instead of a torture. He giggled and squealed, etc.. It was very cute.


TUB
Back at the house, Chrissy and I decided we were honor-bound to begin the motherly duty of creating and compiling embarrassing blackmail material on our offspring. So up to the tub with babies and cameras we headed.

Jonah was immediately enthralled by the wealth of bath toys (we didn't bring any with us to California, since he is usually quite content to just play with a cup), and promptly turned his back on Naomi. Naomi, however, was dismayed, nonplussed, aghast that there was an intruder in her tub, and that he seemed to be equipped with different parts, as it were. She spent the entire bathtime quietly observing Jonah and looking at us like, "What is this?"


ACCESSORIES
One evening Uncle Luke brought out a riding horse toy for Jonah to try out. Our little monkey hopped right on and thought that life just couldn't get any better. Then Luke plopped a cowboy hat on his head and it did. Jonah loves to wear things: hats, jackets, hoods, the kukui nut lei that James received from co-workers in Hawaii, and those brightly primary-colored plastic stacking rings always end up on his arms. When I told Luke this, he went and got an Angel's wrist sweatband and put on Jonah's arm. It didn't come off. Later, as we were preparing to return home, Uncle Luke said Jonah could keep it. It was the perfect end to our angel weekend.