Cousins!

We arranged to meet the cousins at Lassen. We decided to rent a "big car". Big enough for the kids to fit in the trunk and grandma in the back seat... it was a bit cosy, but at least this way we could keep the kids entertained. A good thing, because it was a long (7hrs altogether) trip from end to end. We had one stop at the Nut Tree inorder to acquire food and ride the quarter rides. We also stopped at a rest stop, and briefly when Isabella started feeling sick. Mostly, though, the kids were pretty good.

We got there in time for the kids to run around like crazy. Cori and John had staked out a nice campsite for us with plenty of trees and ravines nearby to play in. Ian still isn't really speaking to his Aunt Cori, of course, but he's quite happy to chase after Alexander.

We went kayaking the next day for an hour. Obviously Isabella was working very hard... John's kayak looked more like a hydrafoil, what with it's nose up in the air look. Ian wasn't

too keen on the life jacket, but was happy to put his fingers and toes in the water. We actually went on a walk after lunch, around a little nature interpretive trail. Where several members of the party learned that "the sweetest sap" isn't really, and, by the way, it will stick to anything and everything for a looong time. Maybe they should have stuck to hugging the tree instead of kissing it...

We went on a hike up the hill the second day, which unfortunately was covered in snow at the top. Isabella expressed great delight at her shoes (you know, the ones I bought 6 months ago that she refused to wear?) because they're much better for climbing rocks. She actually walked about a mile up the hill. Ian rode in the Mai Tai and took a nap. Alexander, mom, Cori and I continued up through the snow. Had a rather slushy, slidey ride back down. I slipped and started sliding down the hill. Ian, from his perch in the back, yelled "whee!" so I decided just to keep sliding... The kids also made slushy cones with the ice and some maple syrup. Isabella and Calin performed some engineering on the creek while the rest of us went up the hill.

The ride back was actually pretty mellow, although the kids didn't fall asleep for quite a while. We listened to some stories on CD - Frog and Toad were pretty good, but the other stories were sickeningly sweet - of course the kids love them. Got back a lot faster than we did going out, fortunately. Only one stop, by the "big truck, no train" - a rather smelly cow carrying truck at a truck stop.

Calin was yet again pretty good about her Isabella shadow. Everything that Calin does, ... accompanied by a non-stop monologue on the part of Isabella. IPods are a good thing.