The Caliente installment

We haven't made a trip to Caliente in a while. I'm sure that D doesn't even remember the last time we went to Nana and Papa's house. Our purpose in breaking away from the big city to enjoy some R&R in the country was so Paul could make a trip to St. George for business-related purposes (sound official enough?). D and I opted not to go to St. George but to stay and enjoy as much time as possible in the thriving metropolis of Caliente (yes, it actually does qualify as a city). For D, the trip was four days and four nights of vacation magic that even Disney couldn't top. He was within walking distance of the cats, the train, and lots of dirt and plants to water. A vacation of this magnitude really is best documented with photos...well, and some commentary too (can't help myself).

I really don't know how this is the only picture we got of D with the cats (Sherb, Monk, and Dobie). He was completely obsessed. Case in point: Upon arrival, Nana and Papa were waving from the window to greet us. D saw them, smiled, and then said, "Where's Dob?". Whenever possible D gave them their cat food (making sure to pick up every spilled piece and return it to their dish). The rest of his time was devoted to chasing them around the yard (they were a little skittish) and asking us every five seconds what they were doing ("What's Monk doing? What's Sherb doing? What's Dob doing?").

How many dinosaurs do you actually need while eating dinner? Well, as many as are available when they are "new" dinosaurs that you've never seen before (especially if they're inflatable).

Nana dusted off all the old toys from the attic to keep D entertained. He was a big fan of Connect Four.

My Dog Has Fleas was good for a few laughs.

The Tinker Toys were a huge hit. D's favorite things to make were drumsticks (which required no assembly) and telephones (which required only minimal assembly). He was always happy when someone would take the time to make him a car or lawnmower or anything that "moved".

We made a couple trips to the train depot to see some "Caliente trains". On our first trip a long, loud train passed by. The whistle made D jump, but he really liked it. He really liked watching all the pickups drive by on the highway too. Our other trip was a bust...not one train came by. D still really liked it.


In an effort not to go to bed, D put on some great dance performances every night. My poor parents probably had to listen to We Will Rock You at least a hundred times while we were there.

D loved being outside, as usual, and especially loved helping Papa water the garlic and herbs. Every time he went outside he would ask to water something.

If you couldn't tell, D had a great time. On the way home, he woke up from napping in the car and said "We're going Nana Papa's house." I had a great time - thanks for the good food, good company, and for making sure D had such a great time Nana and Papa! Paul had a great time, minus the St. George sunburn, including the birthday pizza, and minus the computer mishaps. I think he is almost caught up from the vacation!!