Arden and I had a lovely time in Grand Rapids, Michigan this August. Here's how it went!
-The Travel-
(This was all my mom's idea, by the way.)
Arden and I flew nonstop from Melbourne to L.A., where my mom met up with us and flew us in to Grand Rapids via Detroit. So, for this trip I only needed to do one 14-hour flight solo with Arden. And what a flight it was! The first 7 hours were very... manageable. All my solo-parenting tricks were working - the fresh fruit I brought for her to snack on (instead of all processed snacks); her favourite books I had hidden from her a few weeks prior and "surprised her" with; some brand new toys I also surprised her with mid-flight; and yes, breastfeeding.
pre-flight selfie.
The last 7 hours, however, were very... not manageable. Arden missed both her Australian-timezone nap and her bedtime and was very, very overtired. There was screaming. Inconsolable shrieking. Writhing around like a wild mackerel. And during the whole 14-hour flight, there was one nap - a 20 MINUTE NAP. Random passengers approached us in the aisle asking me if there was "ANYTHING we can do?? anything??" But. Nobody kicked us off the flight or threatened to send Arden to foster care or any of the other airline vs. mommy nightmares that dominate the headlines these days. I didn't even see any looks of disgust or frustration from neighbouring passengers (not that I was really looking anyone in the eye, ha). So, it was a success! We made it to L.A. where my mom graciously worked her grandma magic. And of course, Arden was an angel for the next two flights to Grand Rapids.
Arden and I after the long international flight. Don't we look thrilled?
-Wait, Why Wasn't Ben There?-
This year's trip to the USA was a bit different. Instead of all three of us making the rounds together, we decided to split up the visit into two parts - Arden and I spending three weeks in Michigan with my family, then joining Ben for two weeks in Washington to visit his family and some of our friends.
It made more sense for me to spend a significant time with my family alone with Arden, as Ben only gets so much vacation time and we wanted to make sure he was able to spend all of it with his family (which is by default more people, in four separate households scattered around Washington, not including extended family). And who knows, someday Ben and Arden might make future trips to Washington without me, depending on our situation - that would only be fair, right? ;)
the Michigan house.
-The Visit-
With over three weeks in Michigan, we were able to go at a pretty relaxed pace. My family took us to all the Grand Rapids highlights at least once: the Children's Museum, Meijer Gardens, the John Ball Zoo, Grand Haven beach, Meijer, various malls, parks and walks around the neighbourhood. We stopped by a rehearsal for one of my mom's choirs, and my parents even planned an "open house" event for people in the community and my family's church to drop by and say hello all at once.
post-open house
Meijer Gardens!
the Japanese garden
baby's first Meijer run!
at the zoo.
"driving" with Uncle Gabe at the children's museum
when at Trader Joe's...
one of my favourite restaurants, Olga's Kitchen. Arden approves.
at Grand Haven beach.
killing time at the mall.
It was fun being in the United States during the North American eclipse. I didn't have any viewing glasses, but I was just happy that Arden woke up in time for me to go outside to see little crescents on the ground. I talked to a few friends who witnessed totality and it sounded amazing! For a country that's felt so divided over the past few years, it was nice to feel some excitement and positive energy from an event that brought people together.
eclipse shadows.
Because we were in town for a while, I decided to arrange a few baby playdates with a few local friends from high school/college, and their offspring. Social media is definitely a great way to keep in touch with old friends, and I was happy for the opportunity to reconnect with people I hadn't seen in years. Also, a few out-of-town friends (who now live in California and Illinois) were actually in Grand Rapids for a family reunion during our visit, so I got to see them a few times! Which was really really awesome.
an unofficial 1811 crew reunion.
Overall, Arden adjusted really well to the time difference, new climate, suburban lifestyle (car seats - a new frontier!) and new faces. But even though Arden was much better at adjusting to new people than she was during our USA visit last year (you know, when she burst into tears every time someone laughed... haha), she still wasn't 100% comfortable around anyone. It took her about a week to warm up to my dad and Gabe, and she was still a little cautious around them until the last few days of the visit (don't get me wrong - she loved being around them, as long as I was holding her!). I think this is mostly because Ben wasn't around, as she adjusted to new surroundings much faster during our Washington trip with both parents present.
Like most grandparents, my parents did spoil Arden a lot, but I can't blame them - Arden knows how to work her charm. I was able to get some good quality time alone, as my parents graciously took her on walks or to playgrounds while I journaled and worked on projects and enjoyed some quiet time.
At the end of our trip, my mom flew with us to Seattle via Detroit. Because she had a long layover before heading back to Grand Rapids on a red eye, we got to have a short visit with Ben's mom and younger sister, who were at the airport to meet us and Ben. We grabbed some coffee at Starbucks while Arden transitioned from one family to the next, catching up and sharing stories about her Michigan visit. It was bittersweet as usual, saying goodbye and hello at the same time.
inter-family reunion at the SeaTac airport!
A huge thank-you to my family for making the trip happen, for the friends who made time to see us, to everyone who stopped to chat for a bit, and to Grand Rapids for giving us some lovely PureMichigan weather. Arden and I had a wonderful time, and we'll be back soon, I'm sure.
