Our Graduation Trip to LA

Ever since Danya saw me pull down her little carry on suitcase she's been pulling it everywhere, saying "ready a go aaarpane" so it was no surprise to me when she sat really well on the airplane waiting for it to take off. She actually did really well the whole way. She made some little friends in the airport and as soon as she woke from a nap they came up and join us in our row for a while and played with all the toys I had put in her carry on. Thus killing all but the last hour into LA. I forgot how long it is between initial decent to landing on the mainland. When you fly interisland it's pretty much up and down, but that last hour took forever! On Friday while John was doing his preparations for the defense stage of his project Danya and I went swimming. She had a blast and asside from some sunbathers we had the pool to ourselves. It was fun to have so much time in calm water. She learned that if you use your arms to help you get places you will go even faster than just kicking. We must have swam the length of the pool like 6 times.

 

Even with all that swimming we were still done before time for Daddy to go to the school. With all the time change and traveling her nap schedule got really messed up. Before swimming we went to the grocery store and she fell asleep on the way home thus eliminating any hope of napping on schedule as a car nap of even a few minutes seems to refresh her.

So after swimming I settled her in with a blues clues show on her headphones while John worked, with a little snack and it didn't take long before she crashed

John went and did amazing at his presentation. We snoozed. I had to work really hard to wake her up around 4:30 so that she would go back to sleep that night. When she wants to be asleep she's asleep, I just wish that would work when I try to take her out of the car asleep, but it never does.

 

Saturday morning we got up early and went to the Los Angeles Zoo. "faster daddy" she was less intrigued by the animals than she was intrigued with all the waterfalls in the different habitats. Yep it's official she's a water baby.

After we came home it was another trip to the pool for us. This photo cracks me up because it looks like they are doing water ballet. So cute.

Sunday was John's graduation. This part of our trip has some really high points and several really low points. We had a wait until they let us into the auditorium, so Danya discovered a set of stairs leading to the music department at the school and she climbed up and down really enjoying herself. For our wedding my aunt made me a little purse to hold wedding day needs, Danya has adopted this purse and so for graduation it held her headphones, nuk and a couple small toys to keep her occupied. We waited and waited and then finally got in to the auditorium.

Naturally getting in and finding our seat made for more waiting. We choose to sit in the back because I was pretty sure we wouldn't be making it through the whole service. What I didn't count on was that the ushers had a zero tollerance for kids. There was never anything mentioned about not bringing kids to the ceremony and there were quite a few toddlers and infants in attendence. However, right before we left we learned that Danya's ears had once again accumulated a lot of wax and her volume reflected it. Right before the processional the usher told me we would have to leave because she was making too much noise. Now I knew we wouldn't be able to stay the whole time, but honestly she wasn't being that loud! The other adults around me were just as appauled by the request. So I nearly missed John walking in because I was holding in tears and packing up all her stuff.  I went outside and got her started on her movie and planned to go back inside and sit in the foyer so that I could at least hear the ceremony, however as we sat down in the foyer Danya was angry because she wanted to sit in a chair. I quieted her quickly, but not quick enough the ushers were on us enmasse. I argued quietly with one emphasizing my point that there was NEVER any admonition against bringing kids, and I needed to at least hear graduation. It didn't sway him one bit, so nearing hysteria I went outside. I couldn't process the situation through my tears, so I sat down on the steps and cried. Danya who is very compassionate, wiped away my tears saying "okay momma? okay. cryin?" One of the professor's assistants saw us and came to find out what was going on. After hearing our story she took us back inside and waved off the ushers. She took us upstairs. We sat there for a while, but eventually I made the choice that we needed to leave the auditorium. I was fine with needing to leave at that point, but still very aware of any noise. The assistant was extremely kind, and brought word to us when John won an award. He got the Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Graduate student. I'm so proud of him.

She also came out and got us right before John got his diploma and we went inside to see him get his doctoral hood and diploma. After that she realized that Daddy was truely inside and she was not content to wait playing on the steps anymore, she stood like this until she saw them recess. Which wasn't very long, with a last name like Valera we are near the end. There were many of the other moms who were kicked out of the ceremony at different times, and we were all pissed, but they all kind of rallied around me, and my red puffy eyes, even as far as giving Danya some bubbles to play with while we were stuck outside. I didn't bring stuff for playing outside.

 

 

 

Daddy's cap makes a great toy too. It might not have been how we planned the night to go, but we couldn't be prouder of John and all he's accomplished in the past 2.5 years. One of our neighbors calls him Doc now. It's so fun to be done. Can't wait to see what God does from here. I gotta tell you this, I know that satan was really ticked that John had done such a good job, I do feel like all the craziness at graduation was the only way he could attack us, and so I wear this bad experience as a badge of honor, because we are doing something good and satan doesn't like it. Praise God that he is more powerful! I am glad for the "angel" he sent in the form of the assitant and pray that he blesses her for her kindness.

 Well that was our trip! I fit it all into one post! It's a long one, but at least it had cute photos.