Griffin and the Trip of Doom

My sister Willow just graduated from Albany law school. We went down to be with her at her graduation. It was also the weekend of Griffin's 2nd birthday. The trip down to Albany was good. It was just about 5 hours, and Griffin was a remarkably good boy for most of it.

My sister and her partner have a fantastic half of a duplex, two dogs, and two cats. Griffin saw Willow's dog, Trucker, and immediately the two became good friends. Griffin would throw Trucker's ball, and he would run after it.. then Griffin would take the ball from the dog's mouth without fear. They ran from the front to the back of the house, over and over again. Willow and Amber were very happy to see their cute wee nephew, and surprised, I think, by how energetic he is, and how much he's grown. Griffin and Eric were both exhausted, so they went to the hotel early. Griffin refused to sleep in his crib, and hated the hotel. Eric got him to sleep on the bed, and the rest of the night was spent restlessly, as we passed him back and forth. This was to be indicative of the whole trip.. Griffin would not eat, and would barely sleep. Unless he was outside playing in a park, he was grumpy and tested his boundaries, over and over and over.

All the same, he had a nice birthday party that Saturday. All his grandparents (he has many!) except Dean were there, and he got many awesome gifts. We had hoped to stay two more nights, to visit with my father, and my friends, but Griffin had a melt down, and we had to leave too early. The only place he felt comfortable was the car, so we got back in it, and went home, packed to the gills with presents. I am so happy that Griffin has people who love him so much. I never thought to be thankful for my family, but after so long with friends who have families that leave me scratching my head in wonder, I realize that I have a blessing here.. and I don't think I'll ever take it for granted again. I'm so happy for my son, that he has these people who will always love him.

Be well,
Autumn