Chemistry and Good Friends

Back in October (before I was pregnant and long before we found out we were having twins), I submitted two abstracts to the American Chemical Society's national spring meeting. I submitted one as an oral presentation and the other as a poster -- posters, especially by students, are hardly ever rejected, so I thought there was a very good chance that I'd be able to present at least one of my research projects at the conference. I was a little surprised, though, when both abstracts were accepted -- and the organizers asked if I'd present the research that I had submitted as a poster in an oral presentation! So, I prepared two twenty-minute oral presentations on my two research projects.

The best part about this conference is that it was held in Anaheim, CA -- near enough to our college friends who have never left LA (or who left and later returned) that we decided to make it a family trip and extend the trip three days after the conference ended.

There wasn't much going on the first day of the conference, so we met Liz and Connor at one of Connor's favorite hang-outs, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. The kids checked out the sea lions while Dale and I caught up with Liz.


As we were leaving the sea lion exhibit, Connor found a good-sized puddle and immediately started stomping and splashing in it. Adelaida watched for a minute, not quite sure what her crazy new friend was doing, then tentatively stepped in the puddle herself. She must have discovered the joy of splashing in a puddle -- she laughed and then stomped as if she knew just what to do in a puddle. We spent more time at the puddle than at any of the other aquarium exhibits!


The next four days we each went our separate ways: Dale left every morning to work in Seal Beach, returning home in time to take us to dinner; I did my conference things, attending symposia and talking with other chemists; and Adelaida went to her "California school" every day. The "California school" was really a free daycare program that the conference provided, conveniently located in a hotel just across the street from our hotel. The conference provided free daycare for kids 2-12 (OK, their website said ages 2-12 when I signed Adelaida up; they later changed it to 3-12, so she was by far the youngest one there!), every day of the conference. The kids were separated into groups based on their ages; the preschool group (ages 2 - 4) had four kids enrolled in the program and two caregivers. Of course, all of the kids didn't go every day, so Adelaida's group generally had two kids and two caregivers -- and one day she was the only kid there! Adelaida quickly became attached to Miss Anna and Miss Erika, and I think they kind of liked her too. With tons of toys to play with, meals and snacks provided, and two great teachers, I was as fond of the ACS daycare as Adelaida was. I highly recommend it to other chemists with kids!

I presented my papers on Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon, and then the conference was over -- but our vacation was just beginning! We moved from Anaheim up to Pasadena, where we spent the next few days logging as much friend-time as we could. On Friday evening we met at the Rathskeller for dinner -- a surreal dining experience that included five kids running around our (fortunately private) dining room, exciting news of a new arrival in the Johnson family, and gastrointestinal pyrotechnics by Connor (due apparently to lots of popcorn and lots of running around).

Saturday, with Connor pronounced well, we all met again at a local hot dog eatery, joined now by Ron. It's amazing how we can be away from these friends for months to years and, when we do meet, pick up like we've never been apart!

Saturday evening the Williams clan had us over for dinner and playtime for the kids. Adelaida loved Anara's slide.


And she thought it was really cool to sit next to Connor to eat.


As the kids wound down, I found myself reading a book to Connor, Anara, and Adelaida. Aren't these kids just adorable?


On Sunday we invited the group to our hotel to take advantage of the swimming pool. Anara arrived mid-nap and never did get in the pool, but Connor and Adelaida both enjoyed swimming with their daddies.


Don't Dale and Adelaida look like they are having fun!


Adelaida's favorite part of swimming was being thrown in the air out of the swimming pool. Dale made sure I had the camera ready each and every time he tossed her. After he did it the first time, all we heard from Adelaida was "try again, Daddy!"


Eventually the vacation was over and we returned to our mundane lives in Albuquerque, but had a great time and collected so many good memories. Thanks LA friends!

A visit to Indiana

I had originally planned to spend about four days in Indiana for Rachel and BJ's baby shower, but a few unforeseen circumstances prompted me to change that to a ten-day stay. First, just before the trip, I had some pregnancy complications (all resolved now!) that forced me to limit my activity. I was on light bedrest, so couldn't go to work or take care of Adelaida. My mom came out to help me, and rather than have her come back out to New Mexico after the baby shower, I stayed in Indiana until I was able to resume normal activity. Second, we had scheduled to have the tile in our house redone over a two-week period, the week before and the week after the baby shower. That would put Adelaida and me out of the house for the weekend over which the most work was going to be done, and we made arrangements to stay with a friend for part of the first week during the tile demolition phase. But a few days before that project was scheduled to start, the contractor delayed it by a week, which would have meant that Adelaida and I would be in the house during both the demolition and the heavy tile working weekend. It just made sense all around to extend our stay in Indiana!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from that trip:

Rachel and BJ pose with some of Rachel's old jazz dancing costumes. Cleaning out your parents' house can be fun!


We also found a box of my old karate gear. Brings back memories!


Adelaida with Uncle Michael. She just loved to have him pick her up and swing her!


Papaw juggles Ripley and Adelaida


Christa, Courtney, and Chloe play with Adelaida


Adelaida reads a book with Grandma


Adelaida still loves hats and mittens!


This is one of my favorite pictures of my beautiful little girl.

Christmas 2010: Indiana

After leaving the Parkes family in Tulsa, we drove to Indiana, where we spent a week visiting with so many family members. Adelaida had a blast -- loving on GG, rough-housing with Uncle BJ, and generally being adored by everyone. Below are some of my favorite pictures from this part of the trip.

I'm not sure who is more content here: Adelaida or GG!


Adelaida likes most people, but there are a few that she really adores, and her Poppa is one of them. Every time she sees Poppa, Adelaida starts to giggle uncontrollably -- she just can't get enough of him!


Adelaida snuggles up to her Auntie Rachel M. (No, Adelaida does not have a gigantic butt here -- her butt is just being pushed up by Auntie Rachel's gigantic baby-laden belly!)


Adelaida discovers a rocking horse that is just her size!


Several years ago, we consciously taught our dogs that people who were standing or sitting on furniture were not to be jumped on, but it was OK to play/wrestle with people on the ground. Looking through all these pictures, I realize that we must have unconsciously taught Adelaida the same thing. Whenever she wants to play with someone, she directs them to "lay down!" and then begins to crawl on them and expects to be tickled, swung in the air, and much more. Here, Uncle Michael was directed to "lay down!" and Adelaida immediately sat on his chest and began poking his face. Poor Uncle Michael!


Adelaida notes a certain similarity between the lion's mane and the furry growth on Uncle BJ's cheeks.


Grandpa takes his turn as "mountain" for Adelaida to climb on.


Adelaida with Auntie Sami


Adelaida has a thing for copper pots larger than she is. Uncle Michael put her in this one, and Great-Grandma Fox was delighted to see her have so much fun in her fireplace pot!


Adelaida and Henry have always been good friends!


A nice picture of Uncle Michael and Adelaida.


Nonna learns that she is going to have not two new grandbabies this year, but three!


Dale wins the beer-tasting competition this year. His cream stout was, by almost-unanimous decision, the best cream stout of the tasting!


Cousin Evie teaches Adelaida to play the piano. Evie is almost four years older than Adelaida, and Adelaida just adored Evie! Adelaida followed Evie around for most of the Fox Family Christmas Party, and Evie was so good and patient with Adelaida and I'm sure Evie will make an excellent big sister!


The farmer in Adelaida's life gave her a John Deere truck for Christmas. Adelaida loves it!


As usual, we had a great visit with family. We look forward to future Christmases, when Adelaida will be the oldest of several cousins and will lead the younger ones all around the house!

Christmas 2010: Tulsa

Well, Christmas has come and gone and once again I find I'm more than a month behind in blogging about it. But better late than never, right?

Our Christmas vacation this year started with a long drive to Tulsa. It was long primarily because we were driving with a very-recently-toilet-trained two-year-old, so we tried to stop frequently enough for her to use the toilet, but ended up changing her pants pretty often, generally in the car on the side of the road!

We arrived in Tulsa, where Adelaida immediately started playing with her cousins. Elizabeth is old enough that she was very generous with offering Adelaida toys; Sarah and Adelaida are almost the same age and so were able to play together well, and Adelaida just loves to look at babies like Benjamin. Mamaw had so much fun with four grandchildren to entertain, and within a few minutes of arriving we announced that I was pregnant, so she spent several days thinking about future Christmases with five grandchildren!

We took over a hundred pictures of our time in Tulsa; here are some of my favorites:

Mamaw with Benjamin


When Richard and Dale get together, they enjoy rough-housing with the kids together. Here Adelaida and Elizabeth are perched on Dale's and Richard's shoulders; both girls had been upside down moments before!


Adelaida in her Christmas dress


Adelaida, Elizabeth, and Sarah all like to read books, so whenever one of the girls sat on someone's lap to read a book, another girl would inevitably climb up as well. Here, Elizabeth and Adelaida are reading a book with Dale.


Sarah brings a book over, looking for someone to read to her.


Me, happy holding a sleeping Benjamin!


Mamaw with Adelaida, on Christmas day.


In the midst of opening presents, we revealed that my pregnancy is a double pregnancy! Mamaw reads the card announcing that we are having twins and started revising her thoughts to future Christmases with six grandchildren!


Adelaida's favorite present was a baby doll that she immediately named "Yonna." She sat down and cared for the baby, feeding it a bottle, holding it, and patting its back. I know she loves babies but had never seen her so maternal!


Mamaw holds Adelaida and Benjamin


Sarah and Adelaida snuggle with Aunt Laura


One benefit of blogging about something over a month after it happens is that I get to relive the fun times by looking at the pictures! Adelaida has been sitting here with me as I prepare this post, enjoying looking at the pictures and seeing her family.

Visiting Denver: playing at the park

Our hotel in Denver was just a short walk to a great community center and park, so we took Adelaida there several times. It was nice to get out of the hotel room and to let Adelaida play on the park equipment. She enjoyed the stairs and slides -- until she saw the swings! Adelaida loves to swing, both in a baby swing (so she can swing really high) and in a big-kid swing (she is very good at holding on to the chains and rarely falls off).

Here are some of the pictures we took at the park:

Adelaida preparing to go down the slide


On the big-kid swing


Adelaida thought it was so funny when her Mamaw and her Momma got on the swings with her


Adelaida's favorite place to go on the playset was the top of the climbing wall. She could reach that platform by stairs and liked to walk up the stairs to the top of the climbing wall and look out. It was an awfully long way down, so Dale followed her up there a few times to make sure she didn't fall.


Dale showed off his monkey bar prowess as Adelaida watched


The park was beautiful, so we decided to take some family photos while we were there.

Me, Adelaida, and Dale


Charlotte with her four grandchildren: Elizabeth, Benjamin, Sarah, and Adelaida


Richard and Laura with Elizabeth, Benjamin, and Sarah