On Saturday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast. The big event of the day was a trip to Sting Ray City, where you could swim with sting rays. But we had some time to kill first, so Kate visited with the kittens (there was a cat roaming the resort which had recently had kittens, Kate's highlight of the vacation). Jack and I checked out the table tennis game, which was kind of funny. It was very windy, so we played, but everything I hit would blow back to me, or at least not across the net. He won.
We had a short pool trip. "Count, Daddy, count!" Kate said, as she did handstands and I counted.
We went to the beach. Jack was determined to tackle me in the ocean. I stood there like a tree trunk while he futilely tried to wrestle me underwater. We laughed. Finally I let him drag me over. More laughter.
Took a cab to Sting Ray City. About 20 of us boarded a medium-sized boat that sped out to a large reef with a constructed dock. I got the sense during the introductory video that Kate might be a little iffy about the whole thing. Maybe it's the name: sting ray. She'd touched one before, at the Maritime Aquarium, but not with great relish, and then she wasn't actually in the water with them.
Here, you had to stand in waist-deep water (for adults; more like neck-deep for kids), and a dozen or so giant rays swum about you, looking for food. The employees gave us squid to hold under water, and the rays would swim up and suck them out of our hands like a piece of spaghetti. This was pretty cool and weird, and Kate wanted absolutely no part of it.
Jack was fine with it. He fed a ray, and held one happily in his arms for a picture. We all did, uh, except Kate, who threw her arms around my or Emily's neck and held on tight. And asked to go back onto the boat/dock/dry land.
But finally, at the end, the guy brought a ray up to the edge of the dock, and Kate reached out and petted it. A little, shy smile as she did it. And when we saw the picture of the whole family with the ray, much to my surprise, she had a big smile on her face.
We went back to the resort, spent the rest of the day at the beach and pool, and had a really nice dinner. Exhausted and sunburned, we slept.
Kate slept with her new stuffed sting ray toy, which she named Sally.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Friday, April 03, 2015
Antigua Vacation, Part I
Last week, we went on a tropical vacation, basically the first one we had gone on as a family. The nuances probably don't seem as different from The Cape to them, but they were properly enthused. Even though we woke them up at 4:30 in the morning so we could catch a very early plane. In fact, they were giddy, chatterboxes babbling about everything. Playing with Baby and Puppy, their respective sleeping toys for the trip. Pointing out different things in the sky, buildings, whatever. And a 4-hour plane ride didn't alter that, maybe because they had the luxury of personal TVs on the back of each seat.
In the Taxi from the airport, Kate excitedly noticed everything. "Animals! Palm trees! We're driving on the wrong side of the road!"
We couldn't check in yet, so we changed into bathing suits off the lobby and hit the pool. And as she proves every vacation and would continue to over the remainder of the vacation, Kate is a fish. She jumped off the edge, did a somersault in the water, and climbed out, over and over again. Jack basically did the same, albeit less determinedly, more just messing around. Kate almost seemed to want each jump, each somersault, to be better than the last.
After maybe an hour of this, Emily and I wanted to check out the beach (we've been swimming in pools in New York!), but the kids wanted to stay, and we finally had to drag them away. And when we finally talked them into the beach, and threw down towels and ran and splashed in the ocean, they didn't want to leave there! There were large, circular rafts anchored a little way off shore. They commandeered one and crafted a whole little world where it was a base and there were sharks in the water and they were trying to catch fish while at the same time avoiding the sharks. I think that's it; I didn't have all the rules. But it was pretty cool.
Finally we were able to check in, went to our room, showered and changed. And... then we walked to ANOTHER beach, so they could get their clean clothes wet by jumping in and over the waves that rolled in. Sigh. We stayed there for a while, finding and skipping the flattest, smoothest rocks I've ever seen. And then it was dinner, and stumbling in exhaustion back to the room, and TV, and sleep.
Friday
We sometimes have to work to get the kids -- especially Kate -- to eat good meals, but the all you can eat breakfast buffet was right up their alley. Cereal and eggs and toast and cereal and bacon and orange juice.
After breakfast, Jack and I strolled to the smooth rock beach. It was totally covered with seaweed from the tide; one day we actually saw workers scooping it all up and carting it away. I had figured the tide cleared the beach; nope. Jack spotted a big, black shiny crab, at least he said it was. I figured big was an exaggeration, but then I saw it. Pretty big! We sat for a while hoping it would crawl back out from under the rock it had scuttled under so we could get a picture. I told Jack this story I'd read somewhere about a nature photographer waiting in a tree for three days hoping to get a picture of a rare bird. Jack wasn't overly impressed ("for just a bird?") but we did give the crab a good 10 minutes. (We went back the next day and saw a couple of them.)
We all went to a different pool, the Children's Pool (only 3-4 feet deep throughout), getting there by riding in a golf cart driven by a resort porter. Kate's reaction to the ride: "Wheeeeee!" They played and jumped in the pool for a long time. Kate could turn somersaults in the pool forever. They did handstands on the bottom of the pool, asking us over and over to "Time me!"
After the pool, we hit the beach. (This would be a recurring theme of the vacation, typically followed by another trip to the pool before dinner.) At the resort's beaches, all drinks were free, so Kate and Jack got punch and Emily and I got rum punches. (Jack told a joke: "What's Muhammad Ali's favorite drink? Hawaiian PUNCH!" I didn't even know he knew who Ali was.) At one point we rescued one of those rafts and floated around in it with our drinks. Kate wanted to get hers and swim out to the raft with it. I didn't think she could possibly do it without spilling, and told her so. I was wrong. Five minutes later she was swimming out to the raft, carefully holding her punch out of the water with one hand. Impressive, Kate.
We borrowed snorkeling equipment, which Kate amusingly mispronounced as "Snargling." Heh. We took out a couple of pedal boats, where you would sit in them and let your legs do the work of moving you around the bay. Some cross of having a flawed boat, not having strong enough legs, and maybe the rum punches resulted in a pretty sorry pedalling effort on the part of the two adults. We did better in a second go-around a couple of days later.
After a day of sun and punch and sunburns, we showered, got dressed, had dinner. Both kids looked beautiful.
Next: Sting Ray City!
In the Taxi from the airport, Kate excitedly noticed everything. "Animals! Palm trees! We're driving on the wrong side of the road!"
We couldn't check in yet, so we changed into bathing suits off the lobby and hit the pool. And as she proves every vacation and would continue to over the remainder of the vacation, Kate is a fish. She jumped off the edge, did a somersault in the water, and climbed out, over and over again. Jack basically did the same, albeit less determinedly, more just messing around. Kate almost seemed to want each jump, each somersault, to be better than the last.
After maybe an hour of this, Emily and I wanted to check out the beach (we've been swimming in pools in New York!), but the kids wanted to stay, and we finally had to drag them away. And when we finally talked them into the beach, and threw down towels and ran and splashed in the ocean, they didn't want to leave there! There were large, circular rafts anchored a little way off shore. They commandeered one and crafted a whole little world where it was a base and there were sharks in the water and they were trying to catch fish while at the same time avoiding the sharks. I think that's it; I didn't have all the rules. But it was pretty cool.
Finally we were able to check in, went to our room, showered and changed. And... then we walked to ANOTHER beach, so they could get their clean clothes wet by jumping in and over the waves that rolled in. Sigh. We stayed there for a while, finding and skipping the flattest, smoothest rocks I've ever seen. And then it was dinner, and stumbling in exhaustion back to the room, and TV, and sleep.
Friday
We sometimes have to work to get the kids -- especially Kate -- to eat good meals, but the all you can eat breakfast buffet was right up their alley. Cereal and eggs and toast and cereal and bacon and orange juice.
After breakfast, Jack and I strolled to the smooth rock beach. It was totally covered with seaweed from the tide; one day we actually saw workers scooping it all up and carting it away. I had figured the tide cleared the beach; nope. Jack spotted a big, black shiny crab, at least he said it was. I figured big was an exaggeration, but then I saw it. Pretty big! We sat for a while hoping it would crawl back out from under the rock it had scuttled under so we could get a picture. I told Jack this story I'd read somewhere about a nature photographer waiting in a tree for three days hoping to get a picture of a rare bird. Jack wasn't overly impressed ("for just a bird?") but we did give the crab a good 10 minutes. (We went back the next day and saw a couple of them.)
We all went to a different pool, the Children's Pool (only 3-4 feet deep throughout), getting there by riding in a golf cart driven by a resort porter. Kate's reaction to the ride: "Wheeeeee!" They played and jumped in the pool for a long time. Kate could turn somersaults in the pool forever. They did handstands on the bottom of the pool, asking us over and over to "Time me!"
After the pool, we hit the beach. (This would be a recurring theme of the vacation, typically followed by another trip to the pool before dinner.) At the resort's beaches, all drinks were free, so Kate and Jack got punch and Emily and I got rum punches. (Jack told a joke: "What's Muhammad Ali's favorite drink? Hawaiian PUNCH!" I didn't even know he knew who Ali was.) At one point we rescued one of those rafts and floated around in it with our drinks. Kate wanted to get hers and swim out to the raft with it. I didn't think she could possibly do it without spilling, and told her so. I was wrong. Five minutes later she was swimming out to the raft, carefully holding her punch out of the water with one hand. Impressive, Kate.
We borrowed snorkeling equipment, which Kate amusingly mispronounced as "Snargling." Heh. We took out a couple of pedal boats, where you would sit in them and let your legs do the work of moving you around the bay. Some cross of having a flawed boat, not having strong enough legs, and maybe the rum punches resulted in a pretty sorry pedalling effort on the part of the two adults. We did better in a second go-around a couple of days later.
After a day of sun and punch and sunburns, we showered, got dressed, had dinner. Both kids looked beautiful.
Next: Sting Ray City!
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Kateball
Kate's first baseball practice was Monday. She has played tee ball the past two years, but it's not the same. This was an indoor practice with another team, at the School gym. But indoor or no, it was baseball.
She did great. Practice began with some runs and stretches and warmups,,and she did it all with a smile. Laughed during some of the warmups, like "buttkickers". When it came to playing catch, she was paired up with this huge boy wearing a "Beast Mode" t-shirt (I am not kidding), and although she didn't catch all of them ...or many of them... She didn't get hit too hard by the misses. Whew.
During ground ball drills, she fielded a few, carefully, meticulously, but gamely.
At the end of practice, she was still smiling.
I know there are going to be tough moments this season. She asks for help too often ("daddy, will you get my water bottle?" No, Kate, it's right there, you can get it.). She is going to have a hard time learning some things, or maybe wanting to learn some things. Hitting, catching, that kind of stuff.
But so far she is out there with a smile. I'll take that.
She did great. Practice began with some runs and stretches and warmups,,and she did it all with a smile. Laughed during some of the warmups, like "buttkickers". When it came to playing catch, she was paired up with this huge boy wearing a "Beast Mode" t-shirt (I am not kidding), and although she didn't catch all of them ...or many of them... She didn't get hit too hard by the misses. Whew.
During ground ball drills, she fielded a few, carefully, meticulously, but gamely.
At the end of practice, she was still smiling.
I know there are going to be tough moments this season. She asks for help too often ("daddy, will you get my water bottle?" No, Kate, it's right there, you can get it.). She is going to have a hard time learning some things, or maybe wanting to learn some things. Hitting, catching, that kind of stuff.
But so far she is out there with a smile. I'll take that.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
little bear
Read the kids Good Night, Little Bear tonight. It was an old favorite that we pulled out because our movie had some scary parts. We laughed and smiled at all the same scenes, squeezed into Kate's bed. Jack remarked how he used to not know that Papa Bear knew Little Bear was on his shoulders all along. And we laughed.
Then I tucked them both in and turned out the lights, came downstairs and read old blogs, and thought about them being little.
Then I tucked them both in and turned out the lights, came downstairs and read old blogs, and thought about them being little.
Monday, March 09, 2015
Games
Growing up we played a lot of board games and card games. It's a different world with everyne staring at their devices and having video games easily at their fingertips and whatnot, so we don't play games quite as often. But now and then, we do.
- when Jack has swim practice, Kate and I used to play Go Fish. Now we've moved onward and upward to Uno. It's a pretty good game and easy enough. When bored with that, we play whichever games are available in the rec room (at the Rye Y). Table tennis, although Kate really can't play. Foosball, which she can play a little, although she has tendency to pick up the ball with her hand and try to throw it through the goal. On occasion. And air hockey, which she simply cheats at, covering the goal with her arm as we play. But it's still fun.
- Jack and I play these same games, when Kate has swimming lessons. We've become really good at table tennis and have rallied up to 50, granted while trying to rally rather than actually win a point. And allowing more than one bounce. But, we are pretty good. I am better at foosball, though it is close. And he is better than me at air hockey. Quicker reactions. I would say I let him win, but it's not true, he just does.
- Kate and I played a board game she got for Christmas called Shark Mania. It's a silly but fun game where you move along a board before the Sharks eat you. I have fun with her bY playing very deliberately and slowly, letting the shark nearly get me every turn. She implores me to hurry, exasperated at how I nearly get eaten. "Daddy!!!" She yells, angst-ridden. Mmm? I say. Oh, right, sorry. It's fun.
- Jack and I play Chess. He wants to be good but isn't there yet. It's so different than every other board game, I think. You need to be always thinking about attacking the other person, and I'm not sure if that has registered with him yet. So many board games are essentially races.
- we all play this game I got foR Christmas called Zoom Cubes. You are using dice with letters on them to make words. A good, fun strategy game. They can both beat me at it, because they are young and can think fast, faster than me. I can win by requiring longer words or tougher challenges. Typically I lose.
- we play Hearts sometimes. Emily and I love this game. It is tough to see the kids getting older, but on the bright side, it will be great when they're better at Hearts.
- The never ending winter might finally be winding down, and yesterday Kate and I bundled up in jackets and boots, put on sunglasses to handle the blinding glare off the backyard snow, and spent some time playing the outdoor game we will play a ton this spring and summer, all of us. Catch.
- when Jack has swim practice, Kate and I used to play Go Fish. Now we've moved onward and upward to Uno. It's a pretty good game and easy enough. When bored with that, we play whichever games are available in the rec room (at the Rye Y). Table tennis, although Kate really can't play. Foosball, which she can play a little, although she has tendency to pick up the ball with her hand and try to throw it through the goal. On occasion. And air hockey, which she simply cheats at, covering the goal with her arm as we play. But it's still fun.
- Jack and I play these same games, when Kate has swimming lessons. We've become really good at table tennis and have rallied up to 50, granted while trying to rally rather than actually win a point. And allowing more than one bounce. But, we are pretty good. I am better at foosball, though it is close. And he is better than me at air hockey. Quicker reactions. I would say I let him win, but it's not true, he just does.
- Kate and I played a board game she got for Christmas called Shark Mania. It's a silly but fun game where you move along a board before the Sharks eat you. I have fun with her bY playing very deliberately and slowly, letting the shark nearly get me every turn. She implores me to hurry, exasperated at how I nearly get eaten. "Daddy!!!" She yells, angst-ridden. Mmm? I say. Oh, right, sorry. It's fun.
- Jack and I play Chess. He wants to be good but isn't there yet. It's so different than every other board game, I think. You need to be always thinking about attacking the other person, and I'm not sure if that has registered with him yet. So many board games are essentially races.
- we all play this game I got foR Christmas called Zoom Cubes. You are using dice with letters on them to make words. A good, fun strategy game. They can both beat me at it, because they are young and can think fast, faster than me. I can win by requiring longer words or tougher challenges. Typically I lose.
- we play Hearts sometimes. Emily and I love this game. It is tough to see the kids getting older, but on the bright side, it will be great when they're better at Hearts.
- The never ending winter might finally be winding down, and yesterday Kate and I bundled up in jackets and boots, put on sunglasses to handle the blinding glare off the backyard snow, and spent some time playing the outdoor game we will play a ton this spring and summer, all of us. Catch.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Vermont
Went to Vermont for a few days, to see my parents, do some skiing, and do the other regular things we do. Here's how it went.
Sunday. Drove up, and it went about how 4-hour drives usually go. Stopped at McDonald's, whoo hoo. As we pulled into the driveway, there was an insane flurry of...turkeys! Huge, more than a dozen, milling about the top of the driveway and in the garage. As we drove up, slowly, stunned, they flew/ran/gobbled off into the woods behind the house. Crazy! Later we saw a couple of deer, also in our yard and driveway, also seeking birdseed and suet and the like. The kids watched in fascination. Emily too. It's like a petting zoo without the cages and, uh, the petting.
Reading the forecast, we pretty much made the decision that we would go skiing on Tuesday rather than Monday, as it would be a little warmer and a little less windy. That meant Black Rock Steakhouse for dinner with my parents on Sunday. Food is great at this restaurant, so we always go. Three of us visitors get steaks and Kate gets a burger. Next time, Kate!
Back at home, it was dark and very cold. But the sky was brilliantly lit up with stars. We stood and gazed and pointed for a little bit, then went inside. But then in stages, we went out again. Emily and Kate at one point, Jack and I at another. We bundled up, walked to the end of the driveway, and gaped. Jack said, "I'm not even cold!" We agreed, yep, not even cold. Looked some more, pointing and smiling. Five minutes passed. Then Jack said, "OK, now, I'm really cold." We agreed, yep, it's really cold. In fact it was like 7 below zero or something. We ran inside and huddled against the radiators for warmth.
The kids love to play with the toys they find in Vermont. For Jack that has graduated from merely toys to Daddy's old stuff in his room. My baseball card collection, and the contents of a desk drawer, were the big ones for him. Including this 35-year-old label maker, which he used to make a label. For his new baseball card collection. Kate discovered my sister's old dollhouse. These fascinated them for hours that first day, and some of the second. Suddenly watching TV and playing video games were afterthoughts.
Monday. Since this was supposed to be the ski day, we were a little uncertain what to do with the day. We decided to begin with sledding, since although it was frigid, it was sunny, and we had hills and snow. So we all bundled up -- I mean really bundled up -- and went sledding on the back hill. No phones, no pictures, just us and the old toboggan and a couple of plastic sleds. The kids laughed and fell in the snow and climbed back up the hill and slid and laughed. A silly 20 minutes or so with no complaining (It's cold! I've got snow in my boots! Jack pushed me! Kate hit me!) -- none.
We were all cold, but not too cold to spend another half hour walking around the back hill. The kids found snow-covered rocks and trees and deemed them Fort and Hideout and other such things. Ignored the temperatures and just made up games. Debated whether certain marks in the snow were bear tracks (they weren't) deer tracks (probably), or some other animal. Drew smiley faces. And finally, suitably frozen, we all went back in for a late-morning snack.
After some hemming and hawing about what to do with the afternoon, we decided on a late lunch/early dinner at Lui Lui at the Powerhouse Mall. It had been a couple of years and Kate didn't remember it, but Jack did. "The pizza is great and you get to make shapes out of dough!" Bread arrived early, so the kids were happy. Mom made friends with the Irish waitress, so she was happy. I picked out a beer for Dad that he liked (Dogfish, 9% alcohol, oops!) so he was happy. And Emily and I enjoyed it all.
Afterward, we went shopping at the adjacent Mall, L.L. Bean and candy store. Mostly I just sat on a bench with my Mom and we chatted. Nice, peaceful.
Stopped at a local farmer's for syrup. Kate got out of the car and climbed a snowbank, and when the farmer saw her he said, Does she want to see some lambs? Now you're talking! That was the real reason we stopped here you know. We all got to see 3-day old lambs. Awesome.
At home we dug out old board games and puzzles. Jack and I played Sorry, which was way more fun than I expected. We all played "Security," a 40-year-old card game with Peanuts characters that Jack says is basically Uno. I haven't played Uno in a while but will take his word for it. Uh, but this had Peanuts characters! I also did a couple of wooden puzzles with Kate, and a nail game my grandfather built way back when, with Jack. It was a strangely full day and we went to bed early.
Tuesday. It was still bitterly cold but it was our last day in Vermont and time to go skiing. I'm going to be brief though: Kate did amazing, having a lesson and happily chattering away all during it when she saw us ("Daddy! We're doing turns now!") and after. Jack still seems like a natural skier, unfazed by steep slopes and other skiers, zipping down, turning and stopping with ease, regularly leaving me in the dust. Uh, not counting the time I mistimed our boarding the ski lift and wiped out, enough said. We stopped mid run for a waffle and hot chocolate that was about the best food ever. Jack and I got stuck on the lift once, some problem at the end (probably some idiot from out of town just up visiting family or something). Kate and I skied down the bunny slope making turns and stops in tandem, with her at one point saying, "Can we do a bigger hill?" Next time, Picabo.
Midday, we had lunch at the lodge, sandwiches and fries and beer and hot chocolate, kids were happy, bubbly, sun kissed, tired. Smiling. A few runs after lunch kept turning into one more run, and we ended up skiing late, driving home in the dark, and the kids snacking for two hours, laughing while drinking frozen Gatorades we had left in the car, having an actual meal at Burger King, then sleeping the final leg of the journey. And sleeping hard when we finally got home.
I don't know that I think of us as a skiing family, or a traipsing around Vermont hills family, or a communing with wildlife family. But for a few days, we were.
Sunday. Drove up, and it went about how 4-hour drives usually go. Stopped at McDonald's, whoo hoo. As we pulled into the driveway, there was an insane flurry of...turkeys! Huge, more than a dozen, milling about the top of the driveway and in the garage. As we drove up, slowly, stunned, they flew/ran/gobbled off into the woods behind the house. Crazy! Later we saw a couple of deer, also in our yard and driveway, also seeking birdseed and suet and the like. The kids watched in fascination. Emily too. It's like a petting zoo without the cages and, uh, the petting.
Reading the forecast, we pretty much made the decision that we would go skiing on Tuesday rather than Monday, as it would be a little warmer and a little less windy. That meant Black Rock Steakhouse for dinner with my parents on Sunday. Food is great at this restaurant, so we always go. Three of us visitors get steaks and Kate gets a burger. Next time, Kate!
Back at home, it was dark and very cold. But the sky was brilliantly lit up with stars. We stood and gazed and pointed for a little bit, then went inside. But then in stages, we went out again. Emily and Kate at one point, Jack and I at another. We bundled up, walked to the end of the driveway, and gaped. Jack said, "I'm not even cold!" We agreed, yep, not even cold. Looked some more, pointing and smiling. Five minutes passed. Then Jack said, "OK, now, I'm really cold." We agreed, yep, it's really cold. In fact it was like 7 below zero or something. We ran inside and huddled against the radiators for warmth.
The kids love to play with the toys they find in Vermont. For Jack that has graduated from merely toys to Daddy's old stuff in his room. My baseball card collection, and the contents of a desk drawer, were the big ones for him. Including this 35-year-old label maker, which he used to make a label. For his new baseball card collection. Kate discovered my sister's old dollhouse. These fascinated them for hours that first day, and some of the second. Suddenly watching TV and playing video games were afterthoughts.
Monday. Since this was supposed to be the ski day, we were a little uncertain what to do with the day. We decided to begin with sledding, since although it was frigid, it was sunny, and we had hills and snow. So we all bundled up -- I mean really bundled up -- and went sledding on the back hill. No phones, no pictures, just us and the old toboggan and a couple of plastic sleds. The kids laughed and fell in the snow and climbed back up the hill and slid and laughed. A silly 20 minutes or so with no complaining (It's cold! I've got snow in my boots! Jack pushed me! Kate hit me!) -- none.
We were all cold, but not too cold to spend another half hour walking around the back hill. The kids found snow-covered rocks and trees and deemed them Fort and Hideout and other such things. Ignored the temperatures and just made up games. Debated whether certain marks in the snow were bear tracks (they weren't) deer tracks (probably), or some other animal. Drew smiley faces. And finally, suitably frozen, we all went back in for a late-morning snack.
After some hemming and hawing about what to do with the afternoon, we decided on a late lunch/early dinner at Lui Lui at the Powerhouse Mall. It had been a couple of years and Kate didn't remember it, but Jack did. "The pizza is great and you get to make shapes out of dough!" Bread arrived early, so the kids were happy. Mom made friends with the Irish waitress, so she was happy. I picked out a beer for Dad that he liked (Dogfish, 9% alcohol, oops!) so he was happy. And Emily and I enjoyed it all.
Afterward, we went shopping at the adjacent Mall, L.L. Bean and candy store. Mostly I just sat on a bench with my Mom and we chatted. Nice, peaceful.
Stopped at a local farmer's for syrup. Kate got out of the car and climbed a snowbank, and when the farmer saw her he said, Does she want to see some lambs? Now you're talking! That was the real reason we stopped here you know. We all got to see 3-day old lambs. Awesome.
At home we dug out old board games and puzzles. Jack and I played Sorry, which was way more fun than I expected. We all played "Security," a 40-year-old card game with Peanuts characters that Jack says is basically Uno. I haven't played Uno in a while but will take his word for it. Uh, but this had Peanuts characters! I also did a couple of wooden puzzles with Kate, and a nail game my grandfather built way back when, with Jack. It was a strangely full day and we went to bed early.
Tuesday. It was still bitterly cold but it was our last day in Vermont and time to go skiing. I'm going to be brief though: Kate did amazing, having a lesson and happily chattering away all during it when she saw us ("Daddy! We're doing turns now!") and after. Jack still seems like a natural skier, unfazed by steep slopes and other skiers, zipping down, turning and stopping with ease, regularly leaving me in the dust. Uh, not counting the time I mistimed our boarding the ski lift and wiped out, enough said. We stopped mid run for a waffle and hot chocolate that was about the best food ever. Jack and I got stuck on the lift once, some problem at the end (probably some idiot from out of town just up visiting family or something). Kate and I skied down the bunny slope making turns and stops in tandem, with her at one point saying, "Can we do a bigger hill?" Next time, Picabo.
Midday, we had lunch at the lodge, sandwiches and fries and beer and hot chocolate, kids were happy, bubbly, sun kissed, tired. Smiling. A few runs after lunch kept turning into one more run, and we ended up skiing late, driving home in the dark, and the kids snacking for two hours, laughing while drinking frozen Gatorades we had left in the car, having an actual meal at Burger King, then sleeping the final leg of the journey. And sleeping hard when we finally got home.
I don't know that I think of us as a skiing family, or a traipsing around Vermont hills family, or a communing with wildlife family. But for a few days, we were.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Snow days
It's been a relatively snowy winter, especially at the wrong time (or right time, if you're a kid hoping to miss a day of school). Three straight Mondays, in fact, school has been snowed or iced out.
Like anything, snow days are great in small doses -- a fun treat! -- but aren't quite as much fun if they happen too often. Looking back on them with the space of a week or two, I can remember both positives and negatives.
- On the first snowy day, we made little snowmen on the back deck, then went out front, together, to make a big one. Jack said our snowman should have a snow dog, so we made both. I think in the past I've sometimes taken the lead/taken control of the snowman building, so I didn't do that this year. I rolled the biggest snowball and helped them lift their middle and head onto the snowman, but I let them pick and place the rocks, sticks, carrot and wardrobe. Uh, but I made the dog all by myself. And it was totally awesome. So was their snowman.
- On another snowy day (same one? I don't remember) we went sledding at a nearby park with friends. Best part about this trip was that the friends were one of Jack's best friends for years and a younger girl who we're not always sure Kate is great friends with. But in fact, she and Kate played and slid together the whole time, often waiting for each other so they could go together on the same two-person sled, wiping out and laughing, getting up, chattering away about it, and doing it all over again. Really nice to see. Jack spent the whole time with his other friend and picked up various minor injuries including a bloody chin, but was not only no worse for the wear but went back for a second sledding trip after lunch. The kind of day that makes you glad you live near friends and can walk to a snowy park.
- One day wasn't snow but rather pelting, freezing rain. We stayed inside and watched an old family movie on Netflix, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. It was a little slow starting and I was afraid I'd have to switch to a more recent era movie that I'd hate like The Smurfs 2 or something, but once they got shrunk down the film picked up and the kids got into it. We made popcorn and hot chocolate and enjoyed the day.
- We painted, and the kids made wild Aquarium scenes with weird hybird animals, I think prompted by Jack. Why make fish and sharks when you can make some genetic mutant that has a shark fin and tentacles? They wore my old T-shirts and got paint on themselves and the kitchen floor, but the art was colorful and original and beautiful.
- Other times during the day they play together, sometimes board games (though those often turn into fights because Kate never wins), more often with their toys, having school and other activities for Kate's dolls and their stuffed animals. I sometimes sit in on these games but they're speaking a whole other language of playing.
- Sometimes I try to work, or read, or clean up the house, or just relax. The tough part is sometimes feeling like I should be doing more, or less, or more involved with them, taking advantage of a 7- and 10-year-old with a day off because every so often it strikes me that they're 7 and 10. Jack is basically too old for some things we used to love doing with him. Kate is getting there. I love and fear them getting older.
These gloomier thoughts are a little silly. Yesterday I bought Kate a stuffed animal for Valentine's Day and not Jack. And I think I still feel uncertain about it. I know he's too old, know that really neither of them need these things. And yet I am already missing it.
Now they're off on vacation for the next week, with a Vermont trip included. I'm hoping to write about all of it, every other day if not more. (Let's set modest goals, here.) Now I'll go see what they're doing. And if anyone wants to play a game. Or maybe with stuffed animals.
Like anything, snow days are great in small doses -- a fun treat! -- but aren't quite as much fun if they happen too often. Looking back on them with the space of a week or two, I can remember both positives and negatives.
- On the first snowy day, we made little snowmen on the back deck, then went out front, together, to make a big one. Jack said our snowman should have a snow dog, so we made both. I think in the past I've sometimes taken the lead/taken control of the snowman building, so I didn't do that this year. I rolled the biggest snowball and helped them lift their middle and head onto the snowman, but I let them pick and place the rocks, sticks, carrot and wardrobe. Uh, but I made the dog all by myself. And it was totally awesome. So was their snowman.
- On another snowy day (same one? I don't remember) we went sledding at a nearby park with friends. Best part about this trip was that the friends were one of Jack's best friends for years and a younger girl who we're not always sure Kate is great friends with. But in fact, she and Kate played and slid together the whole time, often waiting for each other so they could go together on the same two-person sled, wiping out and laughing, getting up, chattering away about it, and doing it all over again. Really nice to see. Jack spent the whole time with his other friend and picked up various minor injuries including a bloody chin, but was not only no worse for the wear but went back for a second sledding trip after lunch. The kind of day that makes you glad you live near friends and can walk to a snowy park.
- One day wasn't snow but rather pelting, freezing rain. We stayed inside and watched an old family movie on Netflix, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. It was a little slow starting and I was afraid I'd have to switch to a more recent era movie that I'd hate like The Smurfs 2 or something, but once they got shrunk down the film picked up and the kids got into it. We made popcorn and hot chocolate and enjoyed the day.
- We painted, and the kids made wild Aquarium scenes with weird hybird animals, I think prompted by Jack. Why make fish and sharks when you can make some genetic mutant that has a shark fin and tentacles? They wore my old T-shirts and got paint on themselves and the kitchen floor, but the art was colorful and original and beautiful.
- Other times during the day they play together, sometimes board games (though those often turn into fights because Kate never wins), more often with their toys, having school and other activities for Kate's dolls and their stuffed animals. I sometimes sit in on these games but they're speaking a whole other language of playing.
- Sometimes I try to work, or read, or clean up the house, or just relax. The tough part is sometimes feeling like I should be doing more, or less, or more involved with them, taking advantage of a 7- and 10-year-old with a day off because every so often it strikes me that they're 7 and 10. Jack is basically too old for some things we used to love doing with him. Kate is getting there. I love and fear them getting older.
These gloomier thoughts are a little silly. Yesterday I bought Kate a stuffed animal for Valentine's Day and not Jack. And I think I still feel uncertain about it. I know he's too old, know that really neither of them need these things. And yet I am already missing it.
Now they're off on vacation for the next week, with a Vermont trip included. I'm hoping to write about all of it, every other day if not more. (Let's set modest goals, here.) Now I'll go see what they're doing. And if anyone wants to play a game. Or maybe with stuffed animals.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Date with Katie
New idea for the King Street Elementary school this year, a Father-Daughter dance. Family dances have been regular events (Back to School, Halloween) but this was the first limited to fathers and daughters. Simple and kind of brilliant. When I first told Kate about it (and to be fair, this is what happens the first time we tell her about a lot of new things), she said, "No!!!" But when I said, well, OK, I'll just go alone and dance with a bunch of other daughters, she said "No!!!" even louder, so we made our plans. Got her a lovely new outfit, found a tie for myself, and we were off.
I decided I'd make it as much like a date as possible, holding her door and carefully helping her into the car. We parked and I tried to hold her hand as we walked in. She said her hands were cold and she wanted them in her pockets, "but you can hold my arm." So I did that.
Inside, we got a little wrist corsage for her and a boutonniere for me. She loved the corsage but didn't much care for wearing it, repeatedly giving it to me to hold, then taking it back, then giving it back. Eventually, naturally, it broke, so we had to get another one. "But I want to keep the broken one, too," she said.
After putting our coats down I asked if she wanted to dance, but she was immediately hungry. So we stood in line and got macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. Kate, after getting a big plate of food, said, "I don't like this macaroni and cheese Daddy." I know, Kate. She basically only likes the macaroni and cheese we make at home, because there's always some small difference with what we get in the outside world.
After eating, we sat for a formal picture, then went out onto the dance floor. It was sort of a jumping, arm-swinging kind of dance style, which is typical for me and her preferred choice as well. She had little interest in doing any sort of waltz, until I convinced her to stand on my feet. Then we did that a little bit while she laughed.
She was lukewarm on a lot of the music, but Gangnam Style came on. For the uninitiated (that's you, Mom and Dad), it was a popular song, video, and dance I guess a couple of years ago now. The basic routine involves moves that suggest riding a galloping horse, sidestepping with hands on hips, and swinging a lariat. It's pretty hilarious seeing a bunch of people do it, equally hilarious seeing a bunch of kids do it, and seeing a bunch of little girls and their Dads doing it? Well you can't put a price on that. Uh, I'm pretty sure a bunch of Dad were out there doing it, too, because otherwise I might have looked pretty foolish. Whew, no WAY was it just me and a bunch of little girls. Kate had a huge grin on her face as she did all the various moves and I tried to keep up. The highlight of the night.
That was followed by another of our favorite songs, so we danced to that too. Then she climbed up on my feet again and we shuffled around to something else. And she took the wrist corsage off.
At some point we checked out the dessert table. I must have looked away for a minute because we ended up with a plate of about a dozen cupcakes and cookies and brownies. For the two of us. Can't let that go to waste. Plus, red velvet cupcakes!
All the Dads were dressed up, and although there was plenty of standing around talking (at times the girls just wanted to line up and dance together, as they did for the Macarana, another choreographed dance routine to a popular song from a few years back), mostly it was Dads dancing with their daughters. Waltzes, twists, and holding and tossing little girls up in the air. Lots of happy faces.
Perhaps there will be a mother-son dance in the future? No doubt it was/will be considered, but as previous dances have proved, it can be a little harder to keep a herd of 6 to 11-year-old boys in the gym at dances. They invariably end up running around the hallways together, searching for a football to throw around or a wall to climb. Happens all the time. As one Dad said to me during the dance, This is a lot quieter than the ones with all the boys here. In a good way.
The dance ended, and we bundled back into our clothes and got back in the car. Remarkably, we heard Rihanna's "love in a Hopeless Place," on the radio, which was the first song I can remember having a Kate memory of. When it was popular a few years back, it would come on the car radio, or the kitchen radio, and she would pump her fists to it, and we'd laugh. In the kitchen, we'd dance.
Back in our driveway, we got out of the car. As I was closing the door, Kate said, a little quietly, "I love you, Daddy." I love you too, Kate. We say it plenty. But the ones that come at random, unexpected times are the best.
I decided I'd make it as much like a date as possible, holding her door and carefully helping her into the car. We parked and I tried to hold her hand as we walked in. She said her hands were cold and she wanted them in her pockets, "but you can hold my arm." So I did that.
Inside, we got a little wrist corsage for her and a boutonniere for me. She loved the corsage but didn't much care for wearing it, repeatedly giving it to me to hold, then taking it back, then giving it back. Eventually, naturally, it broke, so we had to get another one. "But I want to keep the broken one, too," she said.
After putting our coats down I asked if she wanted to dance, but she was immediately hungry. So we stood in line and got macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. Kate, after getting a big plate of food, said, "I don't like this macaroni and cheese Daddy." I know, Kate. She basically only likes the macaroni and cheese we make at home, because there's always some small difference with what we get in the outside world.
After eating, we sat for a formal picture, then went out onto the dance floor. It was sort of a jumping, arm-swinging kind of dance style, which is typical for me and her preferred choice as well. She had little interest in doing any sort of waltz, until I convinced her to stand on my feet. Then we did that a little bit while she laughed.
She was lukewarm on a lot of the music, but Gangnam Style came on. For the uninitiated (that's you, Mom and Dad), it was a popular song, video, and dance I guess a couple of years ago now. The basic routine involves moves that suggest riding a galloping horse, sidestepping with hands on hips, and swinging a lariat. It's pretty hilarious seeing a bunch of people do it, equally hilarious seeing a bunch of kids do it, and seeing a bunch of little girls and their Dads doing it? Well you can't put a price on that. Uh, I'm pretty sure a bunch of Dad were out there doing it, too, because otherwise I might have looked pretty foolish. Whew, no WAY was it just me and a bunch of little girls. Kate had a huge grin on her face as she did all the various moves and I tried to keep up. The highlight of the night.
That was followed by another of our favorite songs, so we danced to that too. Then she climbed up on my feet again and we shuffled around to something else. And she took the wrist corsage off.
At some point we checked out the dessert table. I must have looked away for a minute because we ended up with a plate of about a dozen cupcakes and cookies and brownies. For the two of us. Can't let that go to waste. Plus, red velvet cupcakes!
All the Dads were dressed up, and although there was plenty of standing around talking (at times the girls just wanted to line up and dance together, as they did for the Macarana, another choreographed dance routine to a popular song from a few years back), mostly it was Dads dancing with their daughters. Waltzes, twists, and holding and tossing little girls up in the air. Lots of happy faces.
Perhaps there will be a mother-son dance in the future? No doubt it was/will be considered, but as previous dances have proved, it can be a little harder to keep a herd of 6 to 11-year-old boys in the gym at dances. They invariably end up running around the hallways together, searching for a football to throw around or a wall to climb. Happens all the time. As one Dad said to me during the dance, This is a lot quieter than the ones with all the boys here. In a good way.
The dance ended, and we bundled back into our clothes and got back in the car. Remarkably, we heard Rihanna's "love in a Hopeless Place," on the radio, which was the first song I can remember having a Kate memory of. When it was popular a few years back, it would come on the car radio, or the kitchen radio, and she would pump her fists to it, and we'd laugh. In the kitchen, we'd dance.
Back in our driveway, we got out of the car. As I was closing the door, Kate said, a little quietly, "I love you, Daddy." I love you too, Kate. We say it plenty. But the ones that come at random, unexpected times are the best.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Birthday sleepover
Hosted a sleepover for seven of Jack's friends to celebrate his 10th birthday. Now, I don't know a lot of other kids of this age, just his friends really, so maybe we're just lucky. And I realize that some of them will go on to be sullen teens and whatnot. But for now, today, what a happy, nice, generally respectful group of kids. Yeah some call me Andy and some forget things like Thank You -- but most are really good about it. Maybe it's great parents, maybe it's the positive influence of youth sports, maybe it's a combination of that and their teachers and a generally comfortable lifestyle. We're probably just lucky, and I know stuff can and will change. But Jack's pretty lucky to have these friends.
They all showed up in the evening and immediately started playing Madden '15 on the XBox. And they went outside and played football in freezing cold temperatures. In the dark. I said, 5 minutes, I bet. But they were out there for more like 20, which was impressive. Then they came in and played Madden. And talked and argued and laughed and talked and snacked. And didn't eat enough of the pizza and chips and soda we bought. And ran through the house playing some sort of War game, throwing paper Ninja stars at each other (Jack makes them, he's really into Origami), and played a little table tennis, and went back to Madden. Finally, around the time we'd normally go to bed, and long after they'd normally go to bed, they popped in the Guardians of the Galaxy DVD and were up late laughing, and giggling, and talking, and watching that. And a couple of kids were snoring, but the rest were up past 1 a.m.
They tried sleeping in the living room, then moved to Jack's room (the ones that weren't already snoring). As the talking continued, I went in, once or twice, and said, OK, time to sleep. Jack, one of two kids who chattered away endlessly, said, "We're trying." I said, Well, it will be easier if you Stop Talking. And that worked, and they all slept.
In the morning, or 5-6 hours later, there was more giggling, more Madden, more playing football outside in the freezing cold. And then they opened presents and laughed some more, and Jack got a couple of great handmade cards with nice things said. And then parents arrived, kids filtered out, and soon it was Jack and one friend left playing a game trying to bounce a ping pong ball down the stairs into a plastic cup.
And I said to myself, So in some respects, things shouldn't change that much until after they graduate from college.
They all showed up in the evening and immediately started playing Madden '15 on the XBox. And they went outside and played football in freezing cold temperatures. In the dark. I said, 5 minutes, I bet. But they were out there for more like 20, which was impressive. Then they came in and played Madden. And talked and argued and laughed and talked and snacked. And didn't eat enough of the pizza and chips and soda we bought. And ran through the house playing some sort of War game, throwing paper Ninja stars at each other (Jack makes them, he's really into Origami), and played a little table tennis, and went back to Madden. Finally, around the time we'd normally go to bed, and long after they'd normally go to bed, they popped in the Guardians of the Galaxy DVD and were up late laughing, and giggling, and talking, and watching that. And a couple of kids were snoring, but the rest were up past 1 a.m.
They tried sleeping in the living room, then moved to Jack's room (the ones that weren't already snoring). As the talking continued, I went in, once or twice, and said, OK, time to sleep. Jack, one of two kids who chattered away endlessly, said, "We're trying." I said, Well, it will be easier if you Stop Talking. And that worked, and they all slept.
In the morning, or 5-6 hours later, there was more giggling, more Madden, more playing football outside in the freezing cold. And then they opened presents and laughed some more, and Jack got a couple of great handmade cards with nice things said. And then parents arrived, kids filtered out, and soon it was Jack and one friend left playing a game trying to bounce a ping pong ball down the stairs into a plastic cup.
And I said to myself, So in some respects, things shouldn't change that much until after they graduate from college.
Friday, January 09, 2015
Christmas wrap
I wish I could say I remember everything from the Christmas season, but I forget things.
I always remember Christmas Eve. We go to church, and the highlight for the kids is holding the lit candles for Silent Night. We go home, they get into their pajamas, then come back downstairs and leave a plate of cookies and notes for Santa.
Kate made a picture of Donner, our Elf on the Shelf, so that Santa and Donner would have it. She also drew a picture of Santa. In her note, she asked Santa to hug Mrs. Claus for her.
Jack drew a picture of Santa and Rudolph, and wished Santa luck on the rest of his trip.
I sat down with them and read them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, as we do every year. They were still pretty wound up afterward, excited about Christmas. Jack did push-ups. Kate yelled or sang or something.
Emily and I watched the end of It's a Wonderful Life, I got something in my eye, and we went to bed.
I always remember Christmas Eve. We go to church, and the highlight for the kids is holding the lit candles for Silent Night. We go home, they get into their pajamas, then come back downstairs and leave a plate of cookies and notes for Santa.
Kate made a picture of Donner, our Elf on the Shelf, so that Santa and Donner would have it. She also drew a picture of Santa. In her note, she asked Santa to hug Mrs. Claus for her.
Jack drew a picture of Santa and Rudolph, and wished Santa luck on the rest of his trip.
I sat down with them and read them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, as we do every year. They were still pretty wound up afterward, excited about Christmas. Jack did push-ups. Kate yelled or sang or something.
Emily and I watched the end of It's a Wonderful Life, I got something in my eye, and we went to bed.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Tenth Day of December
On the 10th day of December, we have a reservation to go to the North Pole to see Santa. It was this seasonal thing at an outdoors mall in Yonkers that we'd heard about and decided to give it a try. We like to do some sort of family Christmas thing each year, and have done the Rockettes and other various things in previous years. This sounded OK so we piled into the car on a cold and blustery December afternoon to go.
In the car the kids asked questions. What is it? What will it be like? Where are we going? Etc. We only had a vague sense ourselves so we gave vague answers. But it will be fun, we said. Hopefully.
We parked in a parking garage and walked over to where it was. The kids saw a LegoLand sign which I think they were more excited about. But we got the Christmas village, waited in line, went inside. Emily and I noticed how small the whole structure was and said to each other, well, this could be quick.
But it ended up being great. Most notably, it included a 3-D, Disney-type ride where we felt like we were on a magical sleigh traveling at high speeds through the sky on our way to the North Pole. Escorted by Shrek and Donkey, no less! So that was cool, fun for the kids and a reminder for us of our great Disneyworld trip at the beginning of the year.
Once there (it's possible we didn't actually travel to the North Pole, but it seemed like it!), we got to go in as a family to see Santa. He was sitting on a comfortable couch in a room packed with letters from kids and toys and books and things. He had kindly eyes and a great beard, and though I can't be sure it really might have been Santa. The kids sat down on either side of him, Kate on his lap and Jack next to him. Jack, maybe, didn't think it was really Santa, but was polite and respectful. When Santa asked what he wanted, he said an XBox, whew! Kate was shy, when Santa asked her what she wanted, she drew a blank, just sort of smiled in a daze. She believed. Santa said her present would be a surprise, which works well for us.
They smiled nicely for pictures, I shook Santa's hand and wished him a Merry Christmas, and we were whisked back to Yonkers. (After buying the pictures in the gift shop, naturally, that's how they get you!) Happy and full of good cheer, we had a nice dinner at a burger/comfort food place. Kate and I played Tic Tac Toe and did a crossword. We all filled up on food and drink. And then happily skipped over to LegoLand to spend too much not enough just the right amount of money.
We drove home, listening to Christmas music. Heard a James Taylor song, about which Kate asked, "Why is he singing like he's dying?" We laughed much of the way home, and went to bed with visions of sugar plums and Lego Santas in our heads. Nice night.
In the car the kids asked questions. What is it? What will it be like? Where are we going? Etc. We only had a vague sense ourselves so we gave vague answers. But it will be fun, we said. Hopefully.
We parked in a parking garage and walked over to where it was. The kids saw a LegoLand sign which I think they were more excited about. But we got the Christmas village, waited in line, went inside. Emily and I noticed how small the whole structure was and said to each other, well, this could be quick.
But it ended up being great. Most notably, it included a 3-D, Disney-type ride where we felt like we were on a magical sleigh traveling at high speeds through the sky on our way to the North Pole. Escorted by Shrek and Donkey, no less! So that was cool, fun for the kids and a reminder for us of our great Disneyworld trip at the beginning of the year.
Once there (it's possible we didn't actually travel to the North Pole, but it seemed like it!), we got to go in as a family to see Santa. He was sitting on a comfortable couch in a room packed with letters from kids and toys and books and things. He had kindly eyes and a great beard, and though I can't be sure it really might have been Santa. The kids sat down on either side of him, Kate on his lap and Jack next to him. Jack, maybe, didn't think it was really Santa, but was polite and respectful. When Santa asked what he wanted, he said an XBox, whew! Kate was shy, when Santa asked her what she wanted, she drew a blank, just sort of smiled in a daze. She believed. Santa said her present would be a surprise, which works well for us.
They smiled nicely for pictures, I shook Santa's hand and wished him a Merry Christmas, and we were whisked back to Yonkers. (After buying the pictures in the gift shop, naturally, that's how they get you!) Happy and full of good cheer, we had a nice dinner at a burger/comfort food place. Kate and I played Tic Tac Toe and did a crossword. We all filled up on food and drink. And then happily skipped over to LegoLand to spend too much not enough just the right amount of money.
We drove home, listening to Christmas music. Heard a James Taylor song, about which Kate asked, "Why is he singing like he's dying?" We laughed much of the way home, and went to bed with visions of sugar plums and Lego Santas in our heads. Nice night.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Fifth Day of December
On the fifth day of December, I had volunteered to chaperone Kate's class trip to see The Grinch in New York City. I did the same with Jack's class two years ago.
Kate was very excited about both the trip and me being a chaperone. The night before she wrote me a note. "I can't wait to see the Grinch tomorrow!" She wrote. "With you!"
I showed up at school and collected Kate and her three little friends. She was all smiles and held my hand. "Can I sit next to you on the bus?" she asked. I said, well, we'll see, we'll all be close to each other. On the way down, she and her friends ended up sitting in the row right in front of me. They chattered away and occasionally she leaned around the edge of the seat to look back at me, but was fine.
We arrived, and clambered out of the bus to stand on the sidewalk. It was mildly nerve-wracking, so many people and little kids milling about. I did head counts over and over -- 1, 2, 3, 4, yup, got 'em all -- to make sure we had them.
We headed inside and all sat in our row. Kate wanted to be next to me; I made sure I was. We pulled out our peanut butter sandwiches (yum!) and ate lunch. It was only 10:30, but it felt later and everyone was hungry. One girl said she had to go to the bathroom, the others didn't, so I took her. Got back 10 minutes later, the other three had to go. Of course. We trundled off again. 1, 2, 3, 4, yup, got 'em all.
During the show, I was a little bit sympathetic to The Grinch. I mean, those Whos were kind of loud. Kate got a little scared at the scene of the Grinch riding his sleigh, because the lights were lowered and the music was roaring and the wind and fake snow were whipping around. Kind of cool! But Kate was nervous so I hugged her and reminded her of the cartoon version where the dog was riding the sleigh and stuff. She cheered up.
Kids and adults alike sang along to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." We all made it back to the bus, and this time Kate grabbed a seat and saved me a spot next to her. Tallest person on the bus, me, ended up sitting over the wheel. Sigh. But it was OK, and we talked about the show all the way home.
As we got off the bus, she hugged me and held my hand as we said goodbye. Christmas Day is in our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp.
Kate was very excited about both the trip and me being a chaperone. The night before she wrote me a note. "I can't wait to see the Grinch tomorrow!" She wrote. "With you!"
I showed up at school and collected Kate and her three little friends. She was all smiles and held my hand. "Can I sit next to you on the bus?" she asked. I said, well, we'll see, we'll all be close to each other. On the way down, she and her friends ended up sitting in the row right in front of me. They chattered away and occasionally she leaned around the edge of the seat to look back at me, but was fine.
We arrived, and clambered out of the bus to stand on the sidewalk. It was mildly nerve-wracking, so many people and little kids milling about. I did head counts over and over -- 1, 2, 3, 4, yup, got 'em all -- to make sure we had them.
We headed inside and all sat in our row. Kate wanted to be next to me; I made sure I was. We pulled out our peanut butter sandwiches (yum!) and ate lunch. It was only 10:30, but it felt later and everyone was hungry. One girl said she had to go to the bathroom, the others didn't, so I took her. Got back 10 minutes later, the other three had to go. Of course. We trundled off again. 1, 2, 3, 4, yup, got 'em all.
During the show, I was a little bit sympathetic to The Grinch. I mean, those Whos were kind of loud. Kate got a little scared at the scene of the Grinch riding his sleigh, because the lights were lowered and the music was roaring and the wind and fake snow were whipping around. Kind of cool! But Kate was nervous so I hugged her and reminded her of the cartoon version where the dog was riding the sleigh and stuff. She cheered up.
Kids and adults alike sang along to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." We all made it back to the bus, and this time Kate grabbed a seat and saved me a spot next to her. Tallest person on the bus, me, ended up sitting over the wheel. Sigh. But it was OK, and we talked about the show all the way home.
As we got off the bus, she hugged me and held my hand as we said goodbye. Christmas Day is in our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Fourth day of December
On the fourth day of December, Kate had gymnastics in the afternoon. I brought Jack with me; he hasn't had to go much lately because Kate has a friend in the class whose older brother is friends with Jack, so we trade off hosting playdates and giving the kids rides. That friend was away, so Jack came, not too thrilled about it. Yes, he conveniently overlooks how many of his baseball games and swim meets Kate has had to go to.
Anyway. We dropped Kate off and I had brought along the Nerf football so we could throw it around a nearby park together. The park also had a baseball field which Jack refers to as Magic Field, because he's had a couple of the best games of his young career (it sounds weird to say that) at that field.
So we got there with the Nerf football, but there was a basketball court. And a few basketballs left behind. No one was there, we had the place to ourselves. We played Around the World and Horse and Jack beat me when I said I had to make all my shots as hook shots. I can't make hook shots. He showed me different dribbles he had learned in an afterschool basketballs skills class/program he'd done. We tried half court shots, talked about possible versus impossible shots, passed the ball back and forth. One of us might even have made a hook shot.
After a while, cold but refreshed and happy, we picked up the football from the side of the court, got back in the car, went to collect Kate at gymnastics.
Anyway. We dropped Kate off and I had brought along the Nerf football so we could throw it around a nearby park together. The park also had a baseball field which Jack refers to as Magic Field, because he's had a couple of the best games of his young career (it sounds weird to say that) at that field.
So we got there with the Nerf football, but there was a basketball court. And a few basketballs left behind. No one was there, we had the place to ourselves. We played Around the World and Horse and Jack beat me when I said I had to make all my shots as hook shots. I can't make hook shots. He showed me different dribbles he had learned in an afterschool basketballs skills class/program he'd done. We tried half court shots, talked about possible versus impossible shots, passed the ball back and forth. One of us might even have made a hook shot.
After a while, cold but refreshed and happy, we picked up the football from the side of the court, got back in the car, went to collect Kate at gymnastics.
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
First Day of December
On the first day of December, the kids set up their Lego advent calendars, gifts from Nana and Baba. Jack cleared off all the stuff on his nightstand and laid out a nice, open space for the calendar to sit. He knelt there taking care to have plenty of room for it to open up, and for all the little Lego pieces to go.
Kate did the same in her room, clearing off the top of her dresser for the Lego Friends calendar to sit. She opened up the front door and seemed pleased with her work.
After opening each door, they brought the Legos down to show us. Jack showed how he had turned his little Mailbox into something else, already; a snowplow. Kate showed us the little girl she'd received.
What do you like best about your calendar, Jack? I asked. "That it gives us Legos every day," he said. "And it's fun." Kate? "Playing with them!" she said.
That was the first day.
Kate did the same in her room, clearing off the top of her dresser for the Lego Friends calendar to sit. She opened up the front door and seemed pleased with her work.
After opening each door, they brought the Legos down to show us. Jack showed how he had turned his little Mailbox into something else, already; a snowplow. Kate showed us the little girl she'd received.
What do you like best about your calendar, Jack? I asked. "That it gives us Legos every day," he said. "And it's fun." Kate? "Playing with them!" she said.
That was the first day.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Been a while
It is hard to maintain a regular blog. Regular anything, really. You get new things you have to do, and other stuff gets pushed aside. Push anything aside for long enough, and it is hard to bring it back.
Halloween was great. Jack was a zombie football player, and most of his friends were also zombie athletes. I don't know why or who started it, might have been Jack. But they all looked fantastic and were in character for all pictures.
Kate was a monkey. She walked, acted, and looked very monkey like throughout th holiday. Many of her friends were princesses or Devils or Angels or I don't know. But she was a monkey and she owned it.
Probably the most recurring thing over the past month are the evening dog walks, with Jack, Kate, and Riley. I do most of the walking, but Kate and Jack each take a turn. And they bring Kate's scooter, and take turns on that, too. They have a whole system worked out where he does a half block, followed by her, etc. sometimes the system breaks down and I look up and they are half a block behind me, arguing about whose turn it is. But eventually it gets worked out.
The schedule was kind of insane in October. Baseball, an after school basketball thing, gymnastics and swimming for Kate, and 2-3 times a week swimming for Jack. It was probably too much. So right now, sitting on the couch on a Saturday evening, fire going, kids watching TV and perusing holiday catalogs, and writing my blog, is kind of nice. Hasn't been enough of it lately. Will try to have it more often. All of it.
Halloween was great. Jack was a zombie football player, and most of his friends were also zombie athletes. I don't know why or who started it, might have been Jack. But they all looked fantastic and were in character for all pictures.
Kate was a monkey. She walked, acted, and looked very monkey like throughout th holiday. Many of her friends were princesses or Devils or Angels or I don't know. But she was a monkey and she owned it.
Probably the most recurring thing over the past month are the evening dog walks, with Jack, Kate, and Riley. I do most of the walking, but Kate and Jack each take a turn. And they bring Kate's scooter, and take turns on that, too. They have a whole system worked out where he does a half block, followed by her, etc. sometimes the system breaks down and I look up and they are half a block behind me, arguing about whose turn it is. But eventually it gets worked out.
The schedule was kind of insane in October. Baseball, an after school basketball thing, gymnastics and swimming for Kate, and 2-3 times a week swimming for Jack. It was probably too much. So right now, sitting on the couch on a Saturday evening, fire going, kids watching TV and perusing holiday catalogs, and writing my blog, is kind of nice. Hasn't been enough of it lately. Will try to have it more often. All of it.
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
October
Went to Sam Bridge Greenhouse last week with the kids. We go on the eve of October every year, and have since I think 2009. There is a big pumpkin patch, hay stacks to jump around on, scarecrows resembling movie and Disney characters, and all sorts of classic Halloween fare.
We park, get a red wagon, and head through the various scarecrow exhibits to the pumpkin patch. We stop for pictures at all of them. Jack pulls Kate in the wagon, as he did three years ago. I pull them both, for a few seconds, until we stop, because Jack says he's going to fall out. He is too big, they're too big.
But they're laughing, and we continue on. At each exhibit, they pose, and I'm impressed by their ideas. At the Curious George scarecrow, they strike thoughtful, inquisitive poses. At the Frozen display, they make goofy faces like the reindeer, happy ones like Olaf. They mimic the sisters. On and on, until we finally reach the pumpkin patch.
I choose the pumpkins, walking around and around until I find good ones. They climb on the tractor, the hay bale maze, the various cutout displays where you poke your head through a cutout. We do this for a good half hour before heading back, our wagon loaded with pumpkins.
We pick out small pumpkins, gourds, Halloween decorations and toys. Spend way too much money. Kate is determined to find a small enough pumpkin to be the student in some classroom play she has invented in her mind. Jack looks for scary things, but not too scary.
We pay, load up the car, and are about to leave, but then they see the swings they went on years ago. And go on again. I watch them, look at my pictures, think how much I love the place.
Am I already nostalgic for stuff I can still do with them? Maybe. I know there will be years when maybe we don't make it, or they don't care as much, or it's not the same. But I hope those are far in the future.
Tonight we unpacked all the Halloween stuff. Lots of oohs and Aahs, mostly from Kate, but one or two from Jack. Kate is thrilled to see Halloween stuffed toys and books. Jack likes the decorations, and enjoys the Halloween music I put on. (Sort of; I mean, some of it is pushing it. Thriller sure, but Abracadabra? The song from Beetlejuice?)
Anyway. It's October again, Halloween again. I hope to celebrate until we are all too old. But that we never are.
We park, get a red wagon, and head through the various scarecrow exhibits to the pumpkin patch. We stop for pictures at all of them. Jack pulls Kate in the wagon, as he did three years ago. I pull them both, for a few seconds, until we stop, because Jack says he's going to fall out. He is too big, they're too big.
But they're laughing, and we continue on. At each exhibit, they pose, and I'm impressed by their ideas. At the Curious George scarecrow, they strike thoughtful, inquisitive poses. At the Frozen display, they make goofy faces like the reindeer, happy ones like Olaf. They mimic the sisters. On and on, until we finally reach the pumpkin patch.
I choose the pumpkins, walking around and around until I find good ones. They climb on the tractor, the hay bale maze, the various cutout displays where you poke your head through a cutout. We do this for a good half hour before heading back, our wagon loaded with pumpkins.
We pick out small pumpkins, gourds, Halloween decorations and toys. Spend way too much money. Kate is determined to find a small enough pumpkin to be the student in some classroom play she has invented in her mind. Jack looks for scary things, but not too scary.
We pay, load up the car, and are about to leave, but then they see the swings they went on years ago. And go on again. I watch them, look at my pictures, think how much I love the place.
Am I already nostalgic for stuff I can still do with them? Maybe. I know there will be years when maybe we don't make it, or they don't care as much, or it's not the same. But I hope those are far in the future.
Tonight we unpacked all the Halloween stuff. Lots of oohs and Aahs, mostly from Kate, but one or two from Jack. Kate is thrilled to see Halloween stuffed toys and books. Jack likes the decorations, and enjoys the Halloween music I put on. (Sort of; I mean, some of it is pushing it. Thriller sure, but Abracadabra? The song from Beetlejuice?)
Anyway. It's October again, Halloween again. I hope to celebrate until we are all too old. But that we never are.
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Goodbye Summer
It was kind of a crazy summer. It started late, and quickly zoomed into baseball season. We blinked, and July was over. Various family members were sick. Every evening and weekend seemed to be spoken for. Didn't play golf, didn't get up to Vermont, didn't go camping.
Sometimes I think about the things I didn't do, because I wish I had. I know why they didn't happen and I know there wasn't much we could have done differently, but I still think about them.
I guess I come to grips with it by thinking about the things we did do, and feeling better.
- Jack got started learning to play the trombone and made up his own tune.
- Kate mastered riding her bike, starting on her own and riding on streets and steep hills
- We got a dog, and there were plenty of challenges but also some nice family moments with her
- Kate got a scooter and man did she rock that thing
- Jack caught his first couple of fly balls in the outfield, caught some games, and pitched 3 innings of 1-run ball
- They did some indoor rock climbing
- Aunt Robin visited and got to see Jack play baseball
- Kate became a really good reader; lots of chapter books
- Jack became an origami whiz, making dinosaurs, monkeys and Star Wars characters
- Jack played baseball and had a great time at Rehoboth, including getting a key hit, despite a nasty flu
- Kate went down the slide at the pool for the first (and four hundredth by the end of the summer) time
- then Kate jumped off the diving board, a lot, and basically learned to tread water on her own
- we went to Playland, as a family and with friends for birthday parties, and went on Dragon Coasters and other fun and harrowing rides
- we went to Cape Cod and went on a whale watch, well OK they did, I was sick in bed that day
- we hosted a small dinner party with friends and their kids and everyone had fun
- we went to Muscoot Farm and saw some crazy chickens
- we went to a Mets game and both Jack and Kate got to run the bases afterward.
- Jack and I went to see a great movie. Kate and I and Jack saw some movie which they enjoyed and I can't even remember the name, probably something with a 2 or 3 at the end of it.
- we went to the pool, and Kate played with Kelly and Jack played with Hinzes and Pascales, and then we did it all over again a few days later
- we went to famous Mystic Pizza and had the best pizza ever, maybe
- we had a blackout and the kids used a flashlight to make shadows on the wall. Then we ordered pizza and got root beer with it.
- Jack and I went to a Transformer movie and it was really violent and I kind of regretted it, but Jack had fun.
- at the Cape we went to the beach and spent 8 hours there. Then we went to another beach and spent 6 hours there.
- we built sand castles and rode waves and buried each other in the sand.
- we played more whiffle ball than I would have ever thought possible.
- we rode bikes around the neighborhood and to the park, and the kids set aside their bikes in order to climb trees.
- Jack and Kate drew some awesome pictures, capped today by Jack drawing a cover for the new issue of Fantasy Index Weekly. Just awesome.
- today we did probably our last beach trip of the summer, and played in the warm water and let the waves rock us gently to shore. I asked Kate what her favorite part was and she said, "chasing the seagulls," which I tried to stop them from doing but realize now, eh, whatever, harmless and they had fun.
- we ate good steaks and burgers, drank good juice boxes and chocolate milk, and ate a lot of ice cream.
- then we ate more ice cream.
See, George, you really had a wonderful Summer.
Sometimes I think about the things I didn't do, because I wish I had. I know why they didn't happen and I know there wasn't much we could have done differently, but I still think about them.
I guess I come to grips with it by thinking about the things we did do, and feeling better.
- Jack got started learning to play the trombone and made up his own tune.
- Kate mastered riding her bike, starting on her own and riding on streets and steep hills
- We got a dog, and there were plenty of challenges but also some nice family moments with her
- Kate got a scooter and man did she rock that thing
- Jack caught his first couple of fly balls in the outfield, caught some games, and pitched 3 innings of 1-run ball
- They did some indoor rock climbing
- Aunt Robin visited and got to see Jack play baseball
- Kate became a really good reader; lots of chapter books
- Jack became an origami whiz, making dinosaurs, monkeys and Star Wars characters
- Jack played baseball and had a great time at Rehoboth, including getting a key hit, despite a nasty flu
- Kate went down the slide at the pool for the first (and four hundredth by the end of the summer) time
- then Kate jumped off the diving board, a lot, and basically learned to tread water on her own
- we went to Playland, as a family and with friends for birthday parties, and went on Dragon Coasters and other fun and harrowing rides
- we went to Cape Cod and went on a whale watch, well OK they did, I was sick in bed that day
- we hosted a small dinner party with friends and their kids and everyone had fun
- we went to Muscoot Farm and saw some crazy chickens
- we went to a Mets game and both Jack and Kate got to run the bases afterward.
- Jack and I went to see a great movie. Kate and I and Jack saw some movie which they enjoyed and I can't even remember the name, probably something with a 2 or 3 at the end of it.
- we went to the pool, and Kate played with Kelly and Jack played with Hinzes and Pascales, and then we did it all over again a few days later
- we went to famous Mystic Pizza and had the best pizza ever, maybe
- we had a blackout and the kids used a flashlight to make shadows on the wall. Then we ordered pizza and got root beer with it.
- Jack and I went to a Transformer movie and it was really violent and I kind of regretted it, but Jack had fun.
- at the Cape we went to the beach and spent 8 hours there. Then we went to another beach and spent 6 hours there.
- we built sand castles and rode waves and buried each other in the sand.
- we played more whiffle ball than I would have ever thought possible.
- we rode bikes around the neighborhood and to the park, and the kids set aside their bikes in order to climb trees.
- Jack and Kate drew some awesome pictures, capped today by Jack drawing a cover for the new issue of Fantasy Index Weekly. Just awesome.
- today we did probably our last beach trip of the summer, and played in the warm water and let the waves rock us gently to shore. I asked Kate what her favorite part was and she said, "chasing the seagulls," which I tried to stop them from doing but realize now, eh, whatever, harmless and they had fun.
- we ate good steaks and burgers, drank good juice boxes and chocolate milk, and ate a lot of ice cream.
- then we ate more ice cream.
See, George, you really had a wonderful Summer.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Rehoboth
The Rehoboth Mass baseball tournament was coming up, so we were all trying to get ready. We had a great time at this tournament a year ago. But the morning we were supposed to leave, Jack felt like crap. There had been some flu and stuff going around, and as he was huddled in the car with fever and chills, we figured he had it.
But for everyone else it had been a 24 hours thing, and we had a hotel reservation. So Emily and I won Parents of the Year by packing Jack into the car and heading out on the 4 hour drive.
An hour in, Emily climbed into the back seat so Jack could put his head in her lap.
Two hours in, Jack tried eating some applesauce. And threw up. We got off the highway and pulled into a park and ride. Jack sat on the curb with his head in his hands while we cleaned up the car, and him.
After that, he was much better! He found a penny on the ground, which he happily called his lucky penny. He actually started singing in the car, I don't recall what.
We arrived, checked into our hotel, the rest of us ate, Jack seemed OK, we gave him some medicine. Suited up and headed to the game. It was clear, though, during warmups, that there was no chance. H tried to throw and chad no strength. Tried to move and looked pained. Approached us and one of the other coaches shook his head. He looks green, he said. Yeah.
After, at the hotel pool, his whole team was playing, and we were going to keep him out, but geez, he seemed OK and we just couldn't do it to him, make him sit and watch. Go get changed, I said, and he ran off, ran back, and had fun for the next couple hours. That's a large part of what Rehoboth is, and you know, he was fine.
Shared a bed that night, though, and he was awake a lot. Fever. Hot. So I kicked myself some.
But he got through the night, took more medicine the next day, and got through a game. First ball of the game hit to him in left, he didn't catch it, 2 runs ended up scoring. But then his first at-bat, down 3-0 with 2 on and 2 outs, he had a base hit that scored 2 runs and sparked us to tying it up. We won that game, won the next in dramatic fashion, ended up having a great tournament. And Jack was fine.
And slept a lot in the car on the way home.
But for everyone else it had been a 24 hours thing, and we had a hotel reservation. So Emily and I won Parents of the Year by packing Jack into the car and heading out on the 4 hour drive.
An hour in, Emily climbed into the back seat so Jack could put his head in her lap.
Two hours in, Jack tried eating some applesauce. And threw up. We got off the highway and pulled into a park and ride. Jack sat on the curb with his head in his hands while we cleaned up the car, and him.
After that, he was much better! He found a penny on the ground, which he happily called his lucky penny. He actually started singing in the car, I don't recall what.
We arrived, checked into our hotel, the rest of us ate, Jack seemed OK, we gave him some medicine. Suited up and headed to the game. It was clear, though, during warmups, that there was no chance. H tried to throw and chad no strength. Tried to move and looked pained. Approached us and one of the other coaches shook his head. He looks green, he said. Yeah.
After, at the hotel pool, his whole team was playing, and we were going to keep him out, but geez, he seemed OK and we just couldn't do it to him, make him sit and watch. Go get changed, I said, and he ran off, ran back, and had fun for the next couple hours. That's a large part of what Rehoboth is, and you know, he was fine.
Shared a bed that night, though, and he was awake a lot. Fever. Hot. So I kicked myself some.
But he got through the night, took more medicine the next day, and got through a game. First ball of the game hit to him in left, he didn't catch it, 2 runs ended up scoring. But then his first at-bat, down 3-0 with 2 on and 2 outs, he had a base hit that scored 2 runs and sparked us to tying it up. We won that game, won the next in dramatic fashion, ended up having a great tournament. And Jack was fine.
And slept a lot in the car on the way home.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Vacation
On Day 1 we drove 7 hours, with everyone grumpy because of the slowness and the traffic non stop, and then we stopped at McDonalds, ate and gassed up, and were relatively merry the final 3 hours, arriving just 10 minutes before the office where we had to pick up our rental keys closed for the day. Ten minutes later and we'd have had to find a hotel.
Day 2 the beach was just awesome. I got a little work done in the morning, felt a little better (have been battling something), and hit the beach. It was high tide, so there was very little beach, and the water was chilly. But we stuck it out, the water went down and got warmer, there was more beach. After lunch, suddenly, it was beautiful and we played in the water, found shells and rocks, and Kate spent I believe an hour and a half digging a hole in the beach so she would have a little pond to sit in. It was her thing, and I let her have it. Helped her some,,but I can only dig a pond next to the ocean for so long. She didn't mind. We ate fish tacos at Guapos and they were great. Jack ate a taco, Kate had some quesadilla. We got ice cream.
Day 3 we went to a bigger beach, arrived earlier, stayed much later, and had a great time. Jack met up with some other boys and a massive game of whiffle ball broke out. It was 2 on 2 when I left for lunch. It was probably 8 on 8 a couple hours later. When I pulled Jack away to eat his lunch, and we went out and rode some waves for a while, just bobbing like tops, I realized fully that all Jack needs to be happy is playing a game with a group of kids -- it's one of the things that makes him go.
"Wasn't that great, Dad? We were playing ball, and then they invited us over, and we were all playing ball!" I was still happy from the bobbing up and down in the waves, where it's just so peaceful,,and the waves so massive, that it was like we were alone in the world for those 5-10 minutes. But I said yeah, Jack, I know.
When Jack went back to finish his game, Kate and I took her boogie board out. I held it and she clambered on, then rode the waves out and back again, over and over. She's a little water bug; Jack likes the ocean but is plenty happy playing on the beach. Kate liked running back and forth into the waves, laughing and shrieking at the big ones.
We made a big sandcastle. They both helped, Kate amusingly bringing water even though every fifth wave reached us anyway. At one point she was about to pour the bucket when a wave washed over everything. We laughed and built again.
We met up with a college friend of Emily's and his kids, all 3 who were there were close in age. Kate happily played with one, digging holes together. Jack fidgeted until he could rejoin his game, but once that ended, he returned to make these new friends. They played in the frigid water together and ran around. After 7 hours on the beach we staggered home, ordered a pizza, and it was fantastic.
Day 2 the beach was just awesome. I got a little work done in the morning, felt a little better (have been battling something), and hit the beach. It was high tide, so there was very little beach, and the water was chilly. But we stuck it out, the water went down and got warmer, there was more beach. After lunch, suddenly, it was beautiful and we played in the water, found shells and rocks, and Kate spent I believe an hour and a half digging a hole in the beach so she would have a little pond to sit in. It was her thing, and I let her have it. Helped her some,,but I can only dig a pond next to the ocean for so long. She didn't mind. We ate fish tacos at Guapos and they were great. Jack ate a taco, Kate had some quesadilla. We got ice cream.
Day 3 we went to a bigger beach, arrived earlier, stayed much later, and had a great time. Jack met up with some other boys and a massive game of whiffle ball broke out. It was 2 on 2 when I left for lunch. It was probably 8 on 8 a couple hours later. When I pulled Jack away to eat his lunch, and we went out and rode some waves for a while, just bobbing like tops, I realized fully that all Jack needs to be happy is playing a game with a group of kids -- it's one of the things that makes him go.
"Wasn't that great, Dad? We were playing ball, and then they invited us over, and we were all playing ball!" I was still happy from the bobbing up and down in the waves, where it's just so peaceful,,and the waves so massive, that it was like we were alone in the world for those 5-10 minutes. But I said yeah, Jack, I know.
When Jack went back to finish his game, Kate and I took her boogie board out. I held it and she clambered on, then rode the waves out and back again, over and over. She's a little water bug; Jack likes the ocean but is plenty happy playing on the beach. Kate liked running back and forth into the waves, laughing and shrieking at the big ones.
We made a big sandcastle. They both helped, Kate amusingly bringing water even though every fifth wave reached us anyway. At one point she was about to pour the bucket when a wave washed over everything. We laughed and built again.
We met up with a college friend of Emily's and his kids, all 3 who were there were close in age. Kate happily played with one, digging holes together. Jack fidgeted until he could rejoin his game, but once that ended, he returned to make these new friends. They played in the frigid water together and ran around. After 7 hours on the beach we staggered home, ordered a pizza, and it was fantastic.
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
Birthday blog
Woke up at a reasonable hour, which was nice. Had coffee and pie for breakfast accompanied by great homemade cards.
Jack and I spent half an hour playing with his Snap Circuits electronics set. Saw something I'd written earlier about how much he liked that gift and wanted to get it back in rotation. Satisfying and fun.
Took the kids for a bike ride; I walked Riley alongside. It was nice; Kate has finally sort of mastered it, perhaps since she's so good riding her scooter these days, and Jack is very smooth. We went to the little playground and they rode around the tennis court while Riley ran around the baseball field. I watched, relaxed.
We came back, had lunch, turned on AC, watched a silly baseball movie. Kate at first wanted to watch something else, then got hooked. Our dog slept, we drank water and stayed cool on a hot day.
Dinner was eggs and toast, followed by a baseball game. Playoffs! Last year on my birthday, we lost our first playoff game. This was better. We won 7-3, Jack had a hit and a walk, there was little drama.
Afterward we got pizza and drank beer (not the kids), watched the Mets, ate ice cream. Kids sand happy birthday, hugged me good night. Wrote this blog. A nice day.
Jack and I spent half an hour playing with his Snap Circuits electronics set. Saw something I'd written earlier about how much he liked that gift and wanted to get it back in rotation. Satisfying and fun.
Took the kids for a bike ride; I walked Riley alongside. It was nice; Kate has finally sort of mastered it, perhaps since she's so good riding her scooter these days, and Jack is very smooth. We went to the little playground and they rode around the tennis court while Riley ran around the baseball field. I watched, relaxed.
We came back, had lunch, turned on AC, watched a silly baseball movie. Kate at first wanted to watch something else, then got hooked. Our dog slept, we drank water and stayed cool on a hot day.
Dinner was eggs and toast, followed by a baseball game. Playoffs! Last year on my birthday, we lost our first playoff game. This was better. We won 7-3, Jack had a hit and a walk, there was little drama.
Afterward we got pizza and drank beer (not the kids), watched the Mets, ate ice cream. Kids sand happy birthday, hugged me good night. Wrote this blog. A nice day.
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