This past Tuesday was Todd’s birthday and we were all sad that he was working out of town all week. I was not happy with the idea of him being alone in a hotel room on his birthday, so I decided that Riley and I would surprise him by showing up with cake!
The trip ended up taking about four hours, which isn’t too horrible all things considered. Riley surprised me by staying awake almost the whole trip. I could tell she was a bit on the nervous side because the last long car ride we went on was for her surgery in December. She was very cautious when we got out of the car, and it really hurt my heart to see her so nervous. She was very happy to see daddy, and he was the lucky recipient of multiple hugs and kisses as soon as she saw him.
That evening, she experienced grass for the first time. The hotel has a courtyard with a little bit of grass and several bushes with mulch beds. Miss Riley had a grand
time playing while the adults sat and talked after dinner. She brushed her hands back and forth through the grass and in the mulch. She pulled leaves off the bushes and then she gathered large pieces of the mulch and carried them to a stool and arranged them in shapes. It amazes me how well she plays on her own; she had no interest at all in the adults around her. She played and played and played, and was not very interested in going inside when it was time for bed.
I was a little hesitant to plan the trip and stay the night because Riley does not do so well when it comes to sleeping anywhere that is not her crib at home. Even with her giant Pooh Bear and special pink blankie that are a part of her crib at home, she was not very happy at all to be in the play pen the hotel supplied for her to sleep in. We made it through the night, but neither mommy nor daddy got very much sleep.
The next day we packed up and came home, but I am happy to say that we made daddy’s birthday a little better with our surprise. Riley 
surprised me again by not sleeping on the way home. She snuggled with Pooh and her blankie, achieving some rest, but no sleep. We did make a stop for lunch, and she demolished a 1/4 lb. hot dog, while wowing everyone in the truck stop with how adorable she is.
All in all it was a wonderful trip, and hopefully she learned that not all long trips in the car result in a visit to the hospital.
