How I Should Have Spent My Vacation

I would love to say that our vacation to Santa Barbara was an unqualified success.....but that would be painting too rosy of a picture.  The Boys, including my son-in law were in the middle of a virus.....that just kept giving.  SIL brought it home from Florida, the previous week.  Two days later DD1 came down with it and was hit harder than the grandsons.  Then Caшa, who had seemed to be improving, got an ear infection, so off we went to Urgent Care.  Everyone would have a good day then the next.....be really congested, or coughing.....Grandma and Grandpa Bankerchick came down with it the second week  and all bets for fun, were off.  Gratefully the Au Pair never got it...so we all got ....some... rest.  But it put a damper on the plans for the visit. 

Just before we left we felt well enough for a visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo, which is a delightful little park.

Get them together Grandpa

Catch Him

Gotcha

A few days later Grandpa and DD1 took Лука, to his first Drive-in to see Planes, he was delighted with the whole concept and at least Grandpa, had been able to keep the promise of a movie.  We were able to visit with DD1 somewhat, but since she was out of commission for a while, her promise of spending time with us, away from her law practice, was also a plan that never got off the ground.  She works from home, but she still has clients that have to be seen and deadlines to be met.....So, another plan dashed by disease and infection. 

Still, we did get some quality time.  Caшa and I were able to bond at his bath time.  The steamy bathroom helped us to both to breathe and was a lot of fun. Лука, at 4 is such a little boy, he is content as long as grandma is in the room with him.  He tells the stories now and they are usually about dinosaurs and Godzilla....That boy really digs Godzilla.  We had excellent weather the whole time and spent time recuperating, on the patio, soaking up the sun, while the boys played.   We took a couple of walks to the Douglas Family Preserve, (of Kirk and Michael Douglas fame) about a half block, from their house, over looking the ocean.

Kids getting sick is always a possibility and grandparents contracting it is almost a given.  At Christmas it was Grandpa who came down with flu on the drive back home to Missouri and it was Grandma who was hit the hardest this time.  Although, I was well enough on the drive home.  Sleeping at motels was problematic....whenever I get an upper respiratory bug, I cough at night such that Mr BC sleeps in another room, he couldn't do that, this time.

We are back home now and feeling better.  Tomorrow morning we take DD2 to the airport for her first visit to CA since moving back here. She has never seen Caшa and she is looking forward to seeing the family and her friends .  I told her to take her vitamin C and to stay well.