Riley and Avery

So we are finally here in Maryland after quite a long journey. Both the flights went well, but our two-hour layover turned into a three and a half hour layover. Avery slept for both legs, Riley entertained herself (with a little help from the man sitting next to her) for the first leg, and also slept for the second. A little highlight, Avery took her first steps in the Minneapolis airport. Go Avery!! Riley met a girl named Mia in Minneapolis who had just come from Japan and she had a lot of coloring books and she shared them with Avery. The books were real paper, not the newsprint paper in American coloring books. Nice to color on, but probably not good for the environment. Oh well. Mia was almost four and apparently took dance or gymnastics, because she was showing Riley some cool tricks and Riley was frustrated because she would try to copy and couldn't.


Riley and Jay are getting along famously. Just six months ago they had to be constantly separated. I guess now Riley is mature enough and more socialized from being at school. They played without direct supervision for a few hours today. No one was bitten, and no one got hit. They pretended to cook in the kitchen, go shopping with the grocery cart and cash register, and even made a house out of the back of the chair.

Avery is really interested in the dogs. Duke absolutley adores babies, and Avery was reaching for him and chirping. When he came close, however, she did this panic-stricken scream. Not high-pitched, but very loud. I have never heard her make that noise before. And the look on her face! It was sad and funny at the same time. She's getting used to Duke now, but he's not sure what to think of her anymore. Avery is also not sure about Grandma and Auntie Mina. She is usually okay being held by people, but I guess she's also in a strange place with new people, so the combination makes her shy. I was changing Avery's diaper and found a surprise poo, so I set her on the floor without a diaper cover so I could get some diaper wipes, and now the dogs are licking the floor where her wet diaper butt was. Dogs are so gross!

I am seriously very tired and am looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight, if Riley and Avery oblige me. I also have to figure out how to upload photos from this computer. Should be a lot of fun.