As planned, after the morning nap, Pearl and I went to Hermann Park. My carefully considered birthday morning itinerary included an hour in the playground and a ride on the children's train that circles the park.
As you might already have guessed, Ms. Toddler had other ideas in her head. The first 50 feet down the path went well, but at the first crossroads, our differences in opinion began to appear.
Pearl has already outgrown that baby habit of holding hands with Baba (that's me) while walking. Who needs it? And although I tried bullishly to steer us in the "right" direction, she kept noticing the shiny Metro Train, pointing it out to me, and bullishly stomping towards it.
I tried many clever distraction techniques to get her back on the path that I had chosen. Then I thought about my nephew Max, who loved trains to the point of obsession when he was a child. And I said to myself, why not ride the Metro?
So I bought two tickets (it's actually cheaper than the kiddie version), and we selected a window seat and traveled downtown and back again. It was rush hour, and Pearl made many friends on the train and at the stations. Pearl is really into making friends these days, and she's pretty good at it considering her vocabulary of ZERO. 
When we returned to our stop at Hermann Park and got off the train, she did not cry, as I had feared. I stood her up on the bench so she could watch the Metro depart. I saved the ticket stubs to paste into the journal we keep for her. In this way, her day really was her day.
Awwww. :)
Posted by: kat | 10 March 2005 at 03:21 PM
wow. that is a great first birthday story. and this portends....a livelong love of travel. surely.
Posted by: Robyn | 10 March 2005 at 04:39 PM
It seems so right that you marked her first birthday by letting her set the agenda! You guys are gonna have a great time with her toddlerhood. (Or should I say, Her Toddlerhood, as in "Yes, Your Toddlerhood! No, Your Toddlerhood! As you wish, Your Toddlerhood!")
Enjoy. It's a blast.
Posted by: elswhere | 10 March 2005 at 06:19 PM
You are the first Houstonian I have encountered who has ACTUALLY ridden the Metro Rail - though you did it for amusement, not commuting purposes so maybe it doesn't count????? Actually if I had little ones, we'd spend lots of hours riding back and forth. When my two were small we used to go for rides on the city bus. They found it a marvelous adventure.
That's why kids are great - what is mundane to us is awe inspiring to them!
Posted by: Guusje | 10 March 2005 at 08:20 PM
I admire her bullishness! And the train ride sounds like great fun.
Posted by: Eve | 11 March 2005 at 09:34 AM
Hey, I admire her bullishness. And the train ride sounds great.
Posted by: Eve | 11 March 2005 at 09:35 AM
Wow...what a wonderful 1st birthday! It's so cool that she enjoyed the Metro ride.
Posted by: Karen M | 11 March 2005 at 12:02 PM
you're daughter is so adorable. just the cutest kid. i'm glad she had a happy birthday.
Posted by: shannon | 11 March 2005 at 12:23 PM
I'd love to just ride the train, too. Good choice kiddo!
Posted by: PPB | 11 March 2005 at 08:55 PM
Yay, happy birthday! To all of you!
Posted by: Jo | 14 March 2005 at 07:18 PM
What a great birthday :)... I love that story!
Posted by: Chloe | 16 March 2005 at 12:27 PM
That is such a sweet story. You've got a cool kid on your hands! Congrats on the first birthday.
Posted by: Elise | 17 March 2005 at 08:22 PM