Grandpa Chuck came to meet Charlie and help ring in 2008. Grandpa arrived the Friday after Christmas. Charlie got a bath from Daddy, then Grandpa Chuck wooed him to sleep by walking and rocking him around the living room. Grandpa Chuck then settled into the sofa bed in the office at 821 Amoroso for a night's sleep.
Saturday morning, Grandpa Chuck gave Charlie his bottle. Grandpa and Daddy then took bikes from the house and rode up the beach boardwalk for a little brunch. Emily & Charlie met them at Shutters for the feast; Bloody Mary's, coffee, tea, lemon ricotta pancakes, corn beef hash, eggs benedict & OJ-- good eating! We then put on our shades and headed to Montana Avenue for some shopping. We bought a "Globes" mobile for Charlie and browsed a bookshop that has an amazing collection of children's books and original artwork from books such as Green Eggs and Ham and Where the Wild Things are. I particularly liked the Dr. Suess original drawing of Horton Lays an Egg. We discovered an author by the name of David Shannon that writes a series of books about a little boy name David. We bought the book called "No, David" and the illustrations are spectacular. We headed back to Santa Monica. Grandpa & Mommy took the bikes back down the beach boardwalk and Daddy drove Charlie home. We relaxed back at the house and then feasted on prime rib for dinner.
Sunday morning, Mommy and Grandpa were up early and headed down to the coffeeshop for bagels. Grandpa got to enjoy the colorful characters that frequent the local coffee shop. We walked home and bummed into a Lucy Lieberman (a neighbor that went to Georgetown and Dartmouth with Emily), but had no celebrity sitings. We tired ourselves out watching football and taking walks in the neighborhood, so we ate dinner locally at a California French place called "Joe's". We never made it out of Venice for any of the fun restaurants in West LA, we hit a local sushi joint on New Year's Eve and a local brunch Place New Year's Day. Charlie rolled along each time in his carriage that cost more then Grandpa Chuck's first car ($40). Conveniently, we had a New Year's Eve party right next door. Miraculously, we all made it up to midnight.
After ringing in the New Year, January 2nd arrived. We made no resolutions,we just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company. Grandpa Chuck gave Charlie one last bottle before leaving that evening (the little beast gobbled up an entire 4 ounces!) We were sorry that the visit was ending... there is something wonderful and ineffable about watching your own parents hold your baby, and seeing them in the role of Grandparents. Knowing that Charlie has these amazing people to love him, spoil him, and guide him is quite a New Year's revelation (which was way better then any resolution I've ever made).
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