Mom's Visit

Mom (Nana) flew into California from Virginia on January 7th. She stayed with some dear friends Larry & Judy and spent time visiting her parents, Aunt Bobbi, countless friends, Jeff & Lisa, and she saved the best for last (kidding!) and spent Wed-Fri with us. Larry & Judy were generous enough to loan her one of their vehicles (and the GPS system) and we were so thankful she was able to come up and stay in our home. She got in at around 2:15 on Wednesday and got settled in and she and I were able to spend a few hours cuddled up on the couch as she shared the details of her trip with me. That evening, Jay, Kendall, she and I went to Jack's in Old Orcutt for dinner. It's a local restaurant that is very cozy and has portions that are made for Sumo Wrestlers. It's a place we always like to take out of town guests because it sort of represents the spirit of our town with the personal service and friendly wait staff, they make you feel like you are having dinner in their kitchen. We had a wonderful meal and came home and got into our PJ's and camped out on the couch and watched American Idol. Well, Mom and Kendall and I watched American Idol, Jay spent the evening in the computer room doing anything possible to avoid having to watch the show with us. He despises reality TV and rightly so. Most of it is garbage, but I admit there are a few reality shows that I enjoy and AI is one of them. I realize that it is terribly cruel to laugh at the expense of others during the auditions, but in my opinion if you are going to go on national television, then you have to expect that people are going to laugh at you, especially if you are wearing any type of Star Wars costume or you have to leave your audition to have your chest waxed and then come back (did you see that guy?) Where was I again? Oh yes, back to Mom's visit.


Thursday Jay went to work and Kendall went to school, so Mom and I had the day alone. We started by checking our emails in the morning while I filled up the jacuzzi tub for her. My mother LOVES her baths and I couldn't let her go home without experiencing our fabulous jacuzzi tub at least once. It takes about an hour to fill and uses I don't know how many gallons of water, but it is a real treat and I wanted her to get to have the experience. I remember when the Bunns were here and Sandi was in there with all 3 kids and there was still room for more! After Mom's bath and my shower we went to The Madonna Inn for a late breakfast. We went to the Copper Cafe and sat right by the window. Mom told them it was my birthday (ok, so it wasn't my actual birthday, but close enough!), so they brought me a Happy Birthday balloon and a piece of toffee cake that was so creamy, so unbelievably delicious and I don't even want to know how high in calories. Fortunately, the cake came without the singing, so I didn't have to go through the humiliation in order to get my free birthday desert. I had about 4 bites and then boxed the rest up to take home to Jay and Kendall. After lunch we walked around the hotel and I showed my mom the boutiques and we walked back to where the rooms are and sat on the patio in the swing and just looked out over the valley and talked and talked and talked. I just love sitting and talking to my Mom. She knows every memory from my childhood, knows every detail of my life, and can see into my soul. Sometimes it's frightening how she can read my mind, but it's also comforting at the same time. From the hotel we headed to Marsh Street in San Luis for some shopping. I got Valentine's gifts and cards for the girls and half of Jay's Valentine's gift and an adorable sweater dress at the super sale at Express. I just love a good bargain! We got home around 5:00 and rested for about an hour and then went to Bunko. My Mom got the most Bunkos and the most wins!!!! She tied with another lady for both prizes so they each got $50. It's always fun to play Bunko, but even more fun when you get to win some money :). It was fun for me to get to introduce my Mom to all of these ladies that I've been playing with for the last two years and Mom had a really good time. I think we were only partners one time during the entire night, but I could hear her laughing from across the room, so I'm pretty sure she was enjoying herself.


Jay took the day off work on Friday and so I made a nice big breakfast for the 3 off us (Kendall was in school) and chatted with Mom until she had to leave at around 11:30. The visit was WAY too short, but we still loved every minute with her and can't wait for her next trip to California. Next time, we're hoping she'll bring D2 and the Bunns, but there's no pressure or anything....ok, maybe just a little pressure.