So we picked up my mom at the airport yesterday afternoon. Alliclaus did fine for the first few minutes of her visit. She let Grandma hold her and walk her to the car. She let her strap her into the carseat.

The trip home was another situation altogether.

Alliclaus is completely used to sitting in the backseat by herself. She also has grown accustomed to Andrés or I sitting back there. What she's not used to is a stranger in the backseat with her.

I had forgotten that we had this exact same problem when we picked Sarah up at the airport. Silly Mommy!

This time was different, however, because we were driving on the HIGHWAY during RUSH HOUR and the baby was SCREAMING nonstop. My nerves were noticeably rattled.

I got into the backseat once we were off the highway (I still can't believe we survived). It helped a bit, but she was still pretty upset. She had the real tears going, which is about more than I can stand.

Anyway, I entertained her with an aforementioned talent. Here's the deal. My secret talent is voices and sounds. My dad used to do them for me growing up and it may be the only behavioral thing I picked up from him. (Lord knows it isn't the high cleaning frenzies.) I do a couple of Sesame Street characters, a lot of animals, accents - that kind of thing. I'm working on learning to talk with my mouth closed. Alliclaus really likes to listen to me do that.

I'm kind of embarrassed that I told you all that. Oh well. I'm hitting publish anyway.