Even though I am still suffering the lingering effects of my last "traveling with a toddler" adventure, I booked a hotel room and set off for another weekend of being out of my comfort zone. Destination: Cuyahoga Falls, OH for a family get-together. This is where my mom grew up (technically, The Village of Silver Lake) and where my grandparents lived until their passing. I spent many summers and holidays here, and cherish the memories that are still fresh in my mind. I hoped to somehow share those magical times with Steven as he gets older, but I'm afraid my ties to the area are becoming increasingly thin. He'll likely have to rely on long-winded boring stories from dear-old-mom.
But, at least for this past weekend, we had a chance to run around and take "too many pictures, mommy!", in an attempt to pack a lifetime of memories onto one digital camera memory card. The thing that really stood out for this trip, however, was the tremendous difference 4 months makes in the maturity level of a toddler. Steven was an angel, a helper, and joy to be around. He was interested in every mundane sight I took him to see ("Look Steven, that's the house that used to be decorated GARISHLY for Christmas every year! Neat, huh?".... "Oooooh!, Neat, Mommy!!"). He was infinitely patient as I drove around, got in and out of the car, and lingered at virtually every location, taking pictures from all angles imaginable.
But after hanging out at the lake, hiking along the falls, playing ping pong and air hockey at my aunt's house, and even a trip to the local McDonalds, Steven's favorite part, and the thing he cannot stop talking about still today, is riding the elevator up the one floor to our hotel room. You'd think the lights surrounding it were from heaven above.
