Papi (Mak and Jack's grandpa) finally made the journey to meet his granddaughter for the first time. As is the case in my family, the trip was ripe with drama. The plane took off from Montreal for a stop-over in Chicago before heading onto L.A. when one of the doors threatened to blow off at thirty-five thousand feet. The plane was redirected to Ottawa where it made an emergency landing. Then all the passengers were put on a return flight to Montreal and then reassigned flights to the destinations they were headed to in the first place. Papi then elected to fly to Vancouver to grab a connecting flight south. My eighty-three year old father finally stumbled out of the Los Angeles terminal around eleven PM - twelve hours later than he was supposed to arrive and about twenty-three hours since he had last gone to sleep.
I was at first worried for him and then relieved that he hadn't aborted his plans because we hardly ever get to see him. He spends half the year in Canada (the cold months) and the other half in Spain (the hot months) so we only get two windows of time during the year when he is able to visit us.
I was concerned about how Makena would react to him and I was ready with cautions and warnings, telling my dad that I had to hold her, that he couldn't just pick her up whenever he wanted because it might freak her out and not to be concerned if at first she ignored him (or drop-kicked him) -- as Makena sometimes does when she meets new people.
In typical Papi fashion, he didn't hear a word I said. (He's deaf and refuses to get fitted with a hearing aid!) And before I knew it he had scooped her up and was kissing and tickling her. I was stunned when she didn't wiggle out of his grasp or smack him. She giggled.
A few hours later, I was getting dinner ready and I caught her drinking her bottle cuddled on his lap, watching Barney! I couldn't believe it.
We took him to visit grandpa and grandma -- they hadn't seen each other since EM and I got married (fifteen years, two months and eight days ago) and then we journeyed on to San Diego and hooked up with another one of Makena's China cousins, Mea, along with her mother and older sister, Ashley.
We met at Sea World and Jack convinced Papi to take a ride on Atlantis while I headed off to the polar bear exhibit. I hooked up with them a half-hour later to find them soaked. Jack was grumbling something about Papi having embarrassed him (welcome to the club.) He apparently attempted to wipe down the wet seat with a few of his MacDonald paper napkins (he tends to carry around with him.)
Makena spent the day with Mea and the girls had a great time running left and right all over the place.
After we returned home, Papi helped Jack construct his Spanish mission for his 4th grade Social Studies class. It took several days to accomplish and they worked really well together. After I saw how Papi was dressed for the endeavor, I insisted that the project be completed indoors. (we have a recessive "style" gene on my side of the family.) I was mortified that the neighbors might catch site of him in his paint splattered swim trunks and sweater vest and have him arrested by the fashion police.
Makena spent the rest of Papi's two week visit calling after him and bossing him around to chase her or sit and watch a program or drink from her tea set. He always obliged or indulged her with attention and hugs and he had a great time reconnecting with Jack, playing board games and telling him stories. We were really sad to see him go and are now contemplating a trip to Spain to go visit him because we just don't travel enough in this family.
We miss you Papi and hope to see you soon!
Is-a-frequent flyer
Our friend Joan took on the job of hosting the Chinese New Year festivities this year and we had a blast. I scoured a couple of stores looking for celebratory goodies and came upon some gems in the Halloween sale bins: Rodent noses! 
The masquerade lasted all of five minutes but I did manage to snap a few pictures of Jack and his beauties: Makena, Lulu, Alice and Sally. He was really sweet and played with them without complaining. He even allowed them to chase him with swords, wands and fairy wings all evening. 
Sally and Makena stole themselves away and took a minute to discover the candy I had added to the goody bags. I'll rethink that next year. Before I knew it, Makena had eaten her entire bag (and most of Jack's) and did not fall asleep on the car ride home at nine o'clock at night -- because she was "jacked" on sugar!
