Here are a few more pictures from the trip Kate and I took to Mississippi to see Ryan when he got home. I think they pretty clearly demonstrate why this week has been what I would call Attention Detox for Kate. When she's in Mississippi (or Texas, the world headquarters of her other grandparents) there is not a minute of her life that isn't observed and commented on by numerous enthralled aunts and uncles and grandparents. She is a rock star. So when we get home, and I have to do things other than cater to her every whim, things like laundry and cooking dinner and not carrying her around like the Queen of Sheba, she is severely disillusioned about life.

When we returned from this trip, it was particularly painful for Kate to come to grips with the fact that we don't have 40 acres and a four-wheeler in Albuquerque, like Geez has in Oloh. He took her on four wheeler rides pretty much every evening we were home. She loved it. She'll probably be demanding to be taken hunting soon.

The entourage does have some useful purposes when Kate and I travel without Dan, since they take over his job of keeping an eye on Kate while I get a shower in the mornings. These pictures were passed on to me by my lovely and longsuffering sister-in-law Kelly and taken by Aaron during a morning jaunt around the yard. I'm told that Kate was basically wandering around aimlessly in her pajamas and Crocs and every one else was just following her around taking pictures. Can you say UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS? Here she is with Ryan:

With Ryan and Aaron, her Marine security detail:

Leading Ryan on a trek to nowhere:

Kate developed this fascination with picking little pieces of grass and throwing them in the lake. She was weirdly insistent on doing it, so pretty much every trip to the yard had to include a walk down to the lake to relocate some plant life. Here she is showing Ryan and Audrey just how to do it. You can imagine her disappointment upon being told that we also don't have lakes in Albuquerque.