Noah dresses himself everyday. He mostly chooses sweat pants and t-shirts, so while they don't always "match" perfect, they don't look bad or make him stand out either. Well today, he came downstairs with a huge grin and was so proud of the outfit he chose. Instead of his usual casual t-shirt he was wearing this nice gray & red argyle sweater. It was really cute on him. Of course, instead of nice pants or jeans, he was wearing sweat pants. Brown & orange to be specific. Paul & i just smiled and told him how handsome he looked. He was proud to be wearing a nice sweater, since he normally doesn't do that.
When we got to the YMCA this morning he was asking Rakisha (one of the girls who works in child watch) how she liked his outfit. Then he told us both "I'm not wearing underwear!"
Oh my. I told him it's best to keep that bit of info to himself. I am afraid he rather enjoyed going commando all day, too.
Should have taken a picture of him today! This post would be much better, with it. I was busy and tired and just didn't think about it. Next time!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bike Ride
Bike riding in the Fall is the best. The trees are so pretty. My cell phone doesn't capture it, but it is so pretty. Going to have to take the nice camera out on the trail before all the leaves are gone! Love bike rides with my family!
I had a date on Sunday
with Noah. We left Elliot at home to nap and Dad home to watch the Chief's game and headed to Belton to ride the train. We hadn't been in a whole year. When Noah was 2 we would go all the time. We went a couple of times last year and this year only once. He still likes trains, but he's past that typical 2 year old boy obsession. It was cute seeing all the 2 year old boys in their conductor hats just so obsessed. Made Noah seem so old and mature!
After the train ride, we stopped by Sarah's to get our popcorn we bought from Charlie for Cub Scouts. Of course, we popped a bag and Noah & Charlie ate it in some secret hiding spot by a tree. Then we stopped by Grandma Lois & Grandpa Gene's house, where great grandkids always HAVE to eat pudding. Grandma Lo also gave Noah an ice cream sandwich.
I love spending time alone with the boys. It's something I rarely do, but it's always enjoyable to just hang with one of my boys and give them all my attention.
After the train ride, we stopped by Sarah's to get our popcorn we bought from Charlie for Cub Scouts. Of course, we popped a bag and Noah & Charlie ate it in some secret hiding spot by a tree. Then we stopped by Grandma Lois & Grandpa Gene's house, where great grandkids always HAVE to eat pudding. Grandma Lo also gave Noah an ice cream sandwich.
I love spending time alone with the boys. It's something I rarely do, but it's always enjoyable to just hang with one of my boys and give them all my attention.
This is Noah with the conductor. He graduated high school in 1949 and this train is 11 years older than he is. All the people that work on the train do it on a 100% volunteer basis and are just love trains and history. I've never been on a train ride that this conductor isn't on. He sat next to Noah and talked to us half the time. He also let Noah punch an extra hole in his ticket with his hole punch. Noah thought that was pretty cool
Monday, October 25, 2010
Weekend hike
Noah's been bugging us about wanting to go on a hike, so Saturday I took the boys to Minor Park for a walk in the woods. Minor is a nice little area that runs along the Blue River, but most of it is low-lying, and it when it rains, as it had the previous few days, the trails get very muddy.
We walked along the sloppy trails until we found the perfect spot to partake in the perfect hike activity - snack time! The boys sat on a big rock eating and making each other laugh for a good 20 minutes.
On a side note, as they sat there and ate, I thought about all the hours I spent in my younger, single days mountain biking these trails. I came out on a cold fall day 18 years ago - the first place I ever rode a mountain bike on real singletrack trails, and where I fell in love with the sport. I lived nearby at the time, and it was a little wistful thinking about how few obligations I had then and how easy it was just to come out here for a few hours after work, then go back and hang out doing nothing. This spot where we sat and ate was one of my favorite places to come barreling down the bike trail and then launch into and across the Blue River - the crossing you see in the picture below. It was a little surreal to be thinking about those times, and looking at my boys in this same place so many years later.
Then it was down to business. Throwing rocks in the water. When I finally pried them away a half hour later, both boys whined and cried like I'd put them in time out. They could have done this all day.
Along the way back, we took a trail that led us to some tennis courts. Of course they had to stop and chase each other around.
A little while later we stopped in a field to play some more and roll down hills.
They were a muddy mess by the time I got back to the van, but I brought trashbags for just such an occasion.
Later that day, Noah and I went on a bike ride to Arno Park, where he decided to climb a tree.
The end.
Taking a walk
These are just a few cellphone pics of my walk with Elliot yesterday. We used to do this more often when it was just three of us, before Elliot and before Noah got so mobile. Now Elliot tends to get the short end of the stick when it comes to just taking a walk because we are always "on the go", strapping him into a bike seat, or car seat until we get to our destination.
It was enjoyable - I mostly just watched. He ran sometimes, meandered others, and occasionally just sat down to play. We walked down to the church, across the street to the Trolley Trail (where "we" stood in the middle of the trail making joggers and bikers go around) and around the block. It's fun to go at a little kid's pace once in awhile, and have no particular place to be.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
First Camping Trip
Mandy and I have talked several times since last fall that we should take the boys camping. A few weeks ago, as the weather turned nicer, the idea of camping at Gene and Lois' (Mandy's grandparents) farm came up. It sounded like a great idea to me - the thought of "car camping" in a crowded local campground didn't sound very appealing.
Joining the four of us was Sarah and Jason and their four boys. Although they had previous camping experience, this would be the inaugural trip for Mandy and the boys. I wasn't too worried about Noah and Elliot adapting to a tent and sleeping bag, but I admit I was a little concerned about how Mandy would do.
The big day dawned beautifully - blue sky, crisp fall air and lots of sunshine. The forecast was for a great day, but for a cold front to move through that evening. We packed up the tent, sleeping bags, flashlights and warm clothes. It was an easy couple hour drive to the farm at Callao.
We all arrived about the same time, and the boys wanted to to on Gator rides right away. As Mandy took a few boys out for a ride, the rest ran out through the soybean fields to play, while Jason attempted to fix the three-wheeler in the barn (unfortunately, mice had been using the air cleaner as a home for too long).
We spent most of the day just enjoying the good weather, and playing around the farm. I took each of the boys on at least one Gator ride, letting them "drive" - my foot on the gas pedal, and them steering. It was a crackup to see how serious they were about driving this thing, how cautious some were, and how crazy others were. Away from the barn it was no problem - the driving expertise ranged from keeping it in what can only very loosely be termed a straight line, to a that of a drunk on a three-day bender, but we managed at least to keep the wheels down. Around the barn, though, I had to make several grabs for control of the wheel as we occasionally careened towards death and destruction. And as opposed to the 4th of July when he was scared, Elliot loved it - you could barely pry him out of the Gator.
A truckload of boys
Driving is serious business
Playing in the soybean field
Giving his great-grandma a flower he found
Noah playing chase
Having a sword fight. Of course.
Resting at the picnic table Gene found for the kids
Playing on the tire graveyard as we collect firewood around the pond
The boys just having fun goofing off around the farmhouse
After that, Lois had Jason and me cutting down some of the trees around the pond with her that she was trying to clear out, and picking up some firewood along the way. The boys had a good time running around, playing in the fields, building "secret" hiding places, having sword fights (for some reason, everyone had swords on this trip), playing on the mountain of discarded tractor tires and occasionally being yelled at to avoid the poison ivy. They even pitched in to help load the Gator with the firewood we had collected.
We got the tent city set up, a fire pit dug and a fire started just about the time the sun started going down. The earlier wind had died down fortunately, but that meant the cold front was now arriving. We bundled up as best we could (Mandy forgot actual jackets for the boys, thinking they would be warm enough in fleeces), and cooked hotdogs by the now-roaring fire. It was pretty apparent that several of the boys quickly ate their hot dogs only to get at the s'mores afterward.
It started getting colder quickly, and we piled more wood on the fire. We had some impromptu entertainment with Jason and his boys doing a song and dance for us, and then everyone began telling stories. Noah was excited to join the story-telling, and must have told us at least three or four stories, all starting with "Once upon a time..." He was mostly reciting bedtime stories Mandy and I have made up with him in the past. He must have gotten a little stage fright, forgetting some large portions of the story, but it was a crackup to watch.
Warmed by his mom on one side and the fire on the other, Elliot was asleep in Mandy's arms. We sat around the fire for quite a while, with about half a dozen conversations going on at once. Noah had never really seen the stars before, especially in a dark countryside, and he was excited to see them when we came to the farm. Mandy asked him what he thought, and he said "Cool", but then got a confused look on his face and asked, "Why don't they look like this?" - drawing a five-point star in the air with his finger.
Digging the fire pit. And supervising.
Gene and Lois drove down to see how we were getting along
Warming up as the fire gets going
Cooking hot dogs
Cooking marshmallows. Noah is wearing one of my fleeces in an attempt to stay warm
Pretty soon after that, Noah lost steam quickly, zoning out in front of the warmth of the fire. He asked if he could see the tent, so I walked over with him. He wanted to lay down, so I got him situated. It took him a minute to grasp the concept of a sleeping bag - he kept wanting to get under it rather than in it. After all that playing, he was out in a few minutes.
The rest of us spent a few more minutes by the fire, and then the rest of the boys went to bed as well. We finally put Elliot in his sleeping bag, and went to "sleep" ourselves. I could hear Mandy moving around quite a bit, as she adjusted to her first night ever of camping.
Coming from living in the city, where a certain amount of noise is always present, the stillness of the countryside is very striking. Since we usually sleep with a fan on, the quietness is even more profound, and I can hear every little movement from Mandy as she struggles to get comfortable. Quiet is also relative, and while we cannot hear sirens, traffic and the hum of appliances, what we can hear is the howling of what must be the largest packs of coyotes ever having a howl-off somewhere nearby (or is it? In the quietness of the countryside, sound travels a long way). They yip and howl for what seems like hours, and then just for good measure, a bird of some kind joins in the yelling just outside our tents.
I hear Mandy sit up. I look over at her and ask her what's wrong. She responds, "This is the longest night of my life!!!". I look at my watch. It's been an hour and a half since we crawled into the tent. "This is going to be a long night for both of us," I think to myself. I roll off my sleeping pad and put it on top of hers, giving her only a slight bit of additional comfort - she would prefer if I'd brought our Tempurpedic, but at the very least I should have gotten an air mattress. I'm now on the hard ground, and in the coldest sleeping bag on a night that will soon become 32 degrees, but I'm actually not that uncomfortable.
Elliot wakes up around his usual 5:00 AM or so. From a few tents away, I could hear the other boys from time to time during the night talking about the cold. I bundle Elliot up and start carrying him up the quarter mile or so to the farmhouse, when I see headlights heading my way. Jason had gone to get their minivan for Sarah and the boys and was coming back to retrieve them. He gave us a ride to our van, and after I warmed it up, I went back to get Mandy. Noah was still fast asleep, barely having moved since he went to bed, so I stayed with him and Mandy - glad to see the night end, I think - drove Elliot into Macon for some coffee, hot chocolates and biscuits.
Noah and I were the only ones that remained in the tents, and I fell back asleep (now very comfortable in Mandy's warm sleeping bag and two sleeping pads). Mandy showed up a little while later with hot coffee, and Noah finally woke up with a "where am I?" look on his face.
Elliot happy in the warm van
Since we had burned pretty much all of the firewood the night before, there wasn't enough left to get another fire going for the bacon and eggs we planned on cooking for breakfast, and aside from that, there wasn't much appetite for hanging around the frosty field while we got it going. So we all crashed the farmhouse around 6:00 AM, waking Gene and Lois up, and eventually getting breakfast cooked. The boys all promptly forgot the cold as the sun came up, and went back out running in the fields without their jackets on.
We have a few tweaks to make before the next camping trip, but it was a fun time. Noah and Elliot slept the entire trip back.
Joining the four of us was Sarah and Jason and their four boys. Although they had previous camping experience, this would be the inaugural trip for Mandy and the boys. I wasn't too worried about Noah and Elliot adapting to a tent and sleeping bag, but I admit I was a little concerned about how Mandy would do.
The big day dawned beautifully - blue sky, crisp fall air and lots of sunshine. The forecast was for a great day, but for a cold front to move through that evening. We packed up the tent, sleeping bags, flashlights and warm clothes. It was an easy couple hour drive to the farm at Callao.
We all arrived about the same time, and the boys wanted to to on Gator rides right away. As Mandy took a few boys out for a ride, the rest ran out through the soybean fields to play, while Jason attempted to fix the three-wheeler in the barn (unfortunately, mice had been using the air cleaner as a home for too long).
Jason trying to fix the three-wheeler. Grandpa Gene was hoping to trade it in for a safer 4-wheeler for the boys.
We spent most of the day just enjoying the good weather, and playing around the farm. I took each of the boys on at least one Gator ride, letting them "drive" - my foot on the gas pedal, and them steering. It was a crackup to see how serious they were about driving this thing, how cautious some were, and how crazy others were. Away from the barn it was no problem - the driving expertise ranged from keeping it in what can only very loosely be termed a straight line, to a that of a drunk on a three-day bender, but we managed at least to keep the wheels down. Around the barn, though, I had to make several grabs for control of the wheel as we occasionally careened towards death and destruction. And as opposed to the 4th of July when he was scared, Elliot loved it - you could barely pry him out of the Gator.
Elliot enjoying his ride
A truckload of boys
Driving is serious business
Later, Gene took Noah out in the big tractor, and let him drive out in the fields.
The boys all ran through the fields, played in the grass and just generally had fun.
Playing in the soybean field
Giving his great-grandma a flower he found
Noah playing chase
Having a sword fight. Of course.
Resting at the picnic table Gene found for the kids
Playing on the tire graveyard as we collect firewood around the pond
The boys just having fun goofing off around the farmhouse
After that, Lois had Jason and me cutting down some of the trees around the pond with her that she was trying to clear out, and picking up some firewood along the way. The boys had a good time running around, playing in the fields, building "secret" hiding places, having sword fights (for some reason, everyone had swords on this trip), playing on the mountain of discarded tractor tires and occasionally being yelled at to avoid the poison ivy. They even pitched in to help load the Gator with the firewood we had collected.
We got the tent city set up, a fire pit dug and a fire started just about the time the sun started going down. The earlier wind had died down fortunately, but that meant the cold front was now arriving. We bundled up as best we could (Mandy forgot actual jackets for the boys, thinking they would be warm enough in fleeces), and cooked hotdogs by the now-roaring fire. It was pretty apparent that several of the boys quickly ate their hot dogs only to get at the s'mores afterward.
It started getting colder quickly, and we piled more wood on the fire. We had some impromptu entertainment with Jason and his boys doing a song and dance for us, and then everyone began telling stories. Noah was excited to join the story-telling, and must have told us at least three or four stories, all starting with "Once upon a time..." He was mostly reciting bedtime stories Mandy and I have made up with him in the past. He must have gotten a little stage fright, forgetting some large portions of the story, but it was a crackup to watch.
Warmed by his mom on one side and the fire on the other, Elliot was asleep in Mandy's arms. We sat around the fire for quite a while, with about half a dozen conversations going on at once. Noah had never really seen the stars before, especially in a dark countryside, and he was excited to see them when we came to the farm. Mandy asked him what he thought, and he said "Cool", but then got a confused look on his face and asked, "Why don't they look like this?" - drawing a five-point star in the air with his finger.
Our tents. We were in the green one.
Digging the fire pit. And supervising.
Gene and Lois drove down to see how we were getting along
Watching the fire.
Warming up as the fire gets going
Cooking hot dogs
Cooking marshmallows. Noah is wearing one of my fleeces in an attempt to stay warm
Pretty soon after that, Noah lost steam quickly, zoning out in front of the warmth of the fire. He asked if he could see the tent, so I walked over with him. He wanted to lay down, so I got him situated. It took him a minute to grasp the concept of a sleeping bag - he kept wanting to get under it rather than in it. After all that playing, he was out in a few minutes.
The rest of us spent a few more minutes by the fire, and then the rest of the boys went to bed as well. We finally put Elliot in his sleeping bag, and went to "sleep" ourselves. I could hear Mandy moving around quite a bit, as she adjusted to her first night ever of camping.
Coming from living in the city, where a certain amount of noise is always present, the stillness of the countryside is very striking. Since we usually sleep with a fan on, the quietness is even more profound, and I can hear every little movement from Mandy as she struggles to get comfortable. Quiet is also relative, and while we cannot hear sirens, traffic and the hum of appliances, what we can hear is the howling of what must be the largest packs of coyotes ever having a howl-off somewhere nearby (or is it? In the quietness of the countryside, sound travels a long way). They yip and howl for what seems like hours, and then just for good measure, a bird of some kind joins in the yelling just outside our tents.
I hear Mandy sit up. I look over at her and ask her what's wrong. She responds, "This is the longest night of my life!!!". I look at my watch. It's been an hour and a half since we crawled into the tent. "This is going to be a long night for both of us," I think to myself. I roll off my sleeping pad and put it on top of hers, giving her only a slight bit of additional comfort - she would prefer if I'd brought our Tempurpedic, but at the very least I should have gotten an air mattress. I'm now on the hard ground, and in the coldest sleeping bag on a night that will soon become 32 degrees, but I'm actually not that uncomfortable.
Elliot wakes up around his usual 5:00 AM or so. From a few tents away, I could hear the other boys from time to time during the night talking about the cold. I bundle Elliot up and start carrying him up the quarter mile or so to the farmhouse, when I see headlights heading my way. Jason had gone to get their minivan for Sarah and the boys and was coming back to retrieve them. He gave us a ride to our van, and after I warmed it up, I went back to get Mandy. Noah was still fast asleep, barely having moved since he went to bed, so I stayed with him and Mandy - glad to see the night end, I think - drove Elliot into Macon for some coffee, hot chocolates and biscuits.
Noah and I were the only ones that remained in the tents, and I fell back asleep (now very comfortable in Mandy's warm sleeping bag and two sleeping pads). Mandy showed up a little while later with hot coffee, and Noah finally woke up with a "where am I?" look on his face.
Elliot happy in the warm van
Since we had burned pretty much all of the firewood the night before, there wasn't enough left to get another fire going for the bacon and eggs we planned on cooking for breakfast, and aside from that, there wasn't much appetite for hanging around the frosty field while we got it going. So we all crashed the farmhouse around 6:00 AM, waking Gene and Lois up, and eventually getting breakfast cooked. The boys all promptly forgot the cold as the sun came up, and went back out running in the fields without their jackets on.
We have a few tweaks to make before the next camping trip, but it was a fun time. Noah and Elliot slept the entire trip back.
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