Visit to Elsa and Porter

This weekend we braved the folly known as airplane travel with a toddler to see two of our favorite people- Elsa and Porter. Mommy needed a little vacation, we (of course) were desperate to see them since it had been about 6 months since the last visit, and it was a good trial run for the much longer flight we'll taken in April to Kansas City. (Note to self: Isa no longer zonks out for the entire flight. Bummer.)

To recap for those of you who don't know, Elsa and Isa are just about a week apart in age and were roommates at Toukoul. So (as Porter told me just now) the girls have had a relationship for longer than we Mamas have. Elsa came home a month or so after Isa and we got the great pleasure of seeing her at Toukoul to take some additional photos and video for Porter.

We saw them twice last summer and the girls got along fine, although at that point in time they didn't really interact. Now they're both 18 months and very, very, very chatty as well as mobile. Suffice to say, this visit has been MUCH more interactive. The girls are a total riot together. Porter has a large metal umbrella stand that makes quite a bit of noise when rocked back and forth. Apparently, this is the height of comedy in the toddler set because both girls practically fall over with laughter when doing this.

Today I got to watch the girls while Porter rowed in the wee hours. Excellent pajama time. After Porter got home, we all played at the park for a bit. Much fun was had although Isa experienced her first cut lip injury and Elsa managed to face plant directly onto a step, resulting in some immediate swelling. After the park and lunch, it was off to a birthday party for an Ethiopian friend. Amazing homemade Ethiopian food and lots of other habesha kiddos to play with. Elsa and Isa had a great time (as did the Mamas).

Tonight's bath was hysterical. Last night, not so much, as Elsa decided she wanted nothing to do with having her hair combed out. Tonight, however, it was all fun and games- and LOTS of splashing. Isa seems to think that most anything Elsa does is cause for laughter and Elsa enjoys the receptive audience.

Honestly, they get along better than I had hoped for. I thought they would enjoy each other's company but still do a lot of parallel playing. Instead, they are constantly laughing at each other and really acting like buddies. It is such a thrill to see them together and to know that we can keep their special bond going strong.

There will be plenty of videos and photos tomorrow. I forgot to bring my camera-to-computer cord and Porter's is in the room where Isa is now asleep. So, no downloading from the camera tonight! Prepare yourself now for the extreme cuteness........