Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Today marked Ayize's first time swimming in the Mississippi River. We also stood on the edge of a cliff. We hiked through gorgeous swampland with animal sightings everywhere.
And at the day's end, we checked into our hotel, where we ended up swimming and watersliding until 10 o'clock at night, despite being exhausted from our awesome day.
But let me begin at the beginning...
The kids woke up and started playing immediately.
Ayize and Nathan sat face-to-face, puzzling over their respective computers.
Then side by side, where they could help each other out...
Three heads were better than one.
But Nathan was still left scratching his head...
=)
They moved upstairs to Nathan's room, where the big kids got back in touch with their baby roots, playing with blocks and soft toys. Ayize gave Nathan a few crucial engineering tips.
Whee! Brianna happily scooping up dirt balls.
Nathan grabbed the balls for himself.
Breakfast, and the boat filled with blocks somehow migrated to the table along with the kids.
Our next stop was Starlite Park, where the kids had fun climbing around this old school fort.
Beside the fort was a small play structure that encouraged lots of creative play. Ayize loved the periscope.
The mini-slide was more fun than expected!
Making music together. Very very cute.
Across the street was another small playground. We illicitly snuck in under the sawhorse!
Old school seesaws are the BEST.
Giggles, giggles, giggles as we four rode tandem on the teeter-totter while Nathan continued to happily nap away.
We paused for a snack break. The kids devoured juicy plums and made a horrendous mess on a nearby picnic bench.
Then playtime resumed on this slide, a double for the one beside Tamara's house.
Brianna did some super fast sliding again! Tamara and I suspected it might be on purpose...LOL
Nathan awoke, and we decided to hit up the Myrick-Hixon Eco Park. Ayize and I had played on their awesome playground upon our arrival in La Crosse two days earlier, but the visitor's center had been closed then, and we didn't have the time or energy to hike the trails after our long drive.
It was time for a revisit!
Inside, the kids gravitated to something. I wasn't sure what it was, until closer inspection...
Yikes - a stuffed bird that Ayize wanted me to "help"!
Meanwhile, Tamara and I sussed out this 3-D topographical map of the area. Miller's Bluff (at left) looked promising, so we decided that would be a future destination.
Nathan crawled around the base of the large table that held the map, playing peek-a-boo, while I snapped the shot above, which would later prove to be our "map" as we navigated the twisty, climbing roads to Miller's Bluff.
Tamara and I are such Luddites! Gotta love it...
Nathan noticed the big kids had moved on, and he started off in furious pursuit.
Destination arrival.
Ayize discoursed upon the turtle he liked best.
Nathan was an apt pupil.
We set off for the adjacent swampland. Nathan was quite excited about our adventure as we headed out across the small parking lot towards the trails.
At the very beginning of the trail, Ayize spotted the water's edge and made a mad dash. I snapped this photo as I called his name, but it was too late - he had thought the green sludge was solid, and had already set foot in it!
I busted out the baby wipes and tried to clear the green algae covering his lower clothes as best I could, but his feet and sandals were already hopelessly "slimed".
My fast, fast little guy! No stopping him.
Ah well, lesson learned, and it reminded me of a long-ago experience when a beloved pup of mine also discovered that green swampy sludge is decidedly NOT solid. And he had a much poorer attitude about the life lesson than jolly Ayize did, so no worries there.
One of the first cool things we encountered on the trail was a giant, felled, partially-hollowed tree trunk. Ayize walked out to the farthest point and happily captained his "ship" for quite some time.
Brianna joined him, though she was a bit more hesitant about trusting the vessel to be seaworthy!
He was pointing to these cutie pies, slowly paddling through the thick green muck, making a meal of it.
I loved the way the glassy water met the sludgy swamp.
We set off on a long straightaway portion of the path. All was quietude, except the sound of the animals and insects. Brianna posed perfectly at the edge of the path as she looked out over the water.
Her view.
Ayize found another cool hiding spot in the shade of this old tree along the path.
Gang of four, hiking ahead of me. The weather was absolutely perfect.
Gang of four, close up.
Gotta love Mizz Mother Nature. I'm reminded of this absolutely amazing clip, well worth a watch.
Turtles on a log.
Rounding a bend, coming out of the welcoming shade.
Straddling the waterway.
Long-ago fallen trees poked out of the sludge, creating myriad visual illusions.
Ducks on a log.
This guy decided this gently-swaying log was too unstable, so he struck out on his own to find a better perch.
Ah...well now, that's more like it!
Halfway through the loop, we paused to snack and rest on this dock.
Ayize was living dangerously as he tried to get a closer look at the small fish flitting around just under the water's surface.
"I think I need a little more sunscreen."
Can you see it's cool, uncurling proboscis, getting ready to gather some nectar?
Camouflage ducks.
Camouflage turtle.
Walking back. Doing the straddle again.
Little stone wall.
Ginat bumblebee, enjoying the bursting fall thistles.
Back where we started. A wonderful way to spend a late morning.
Back at home, Ayize decided it was time for some midday oral hygiene. Nathan, inspired, joined in.
Ayize was finishing up, but Nathan seemed reluctant for the fun to end.
"Hey, where ya going, Brush Buddy??"
"Whatever. I can do this solo then."
"I'd better sit down. This could take awhile..."
Meanwhile, sweet Brianna danced on tiptoes around the hallway.
Dramatic gestures all around! They were also singing, "Snake, snake, snakey, snake."
Turns out they were serenading this little guy on top of the baseball stand Ayize was using. Not sure how he survived the rounds of baseball prior to my discovery, but there you have it. I moved him to the relative safety of the grass after this shot.
The Slinky added to the difficulty factor in their bizarre, made-up, miniature-Frisbee game, that was a constant source of entertainment throughout our trip.
Nathan, napping throughout all this, woke up. Tamara went up to fetch him while I sat with the kids and told them we were headed to a place with amazing views. Ayize got ready!
Midway through our drive to Miller's Bluff.
I was by now using my camera as our aforementioned "map"! The views were gorgeous as we drove higher and higher.
We passed this awesome weather-data outpost.
Arrival, at long last!
Brianna pretended to be asleep, but her smile gave her away.
The trail to the lookout point was gated off and padlocked, but it was one of the least effective deterrents I've ever seen, since there was no fence on either side of the gate.
Heading towards the bluff lookout.
We passed through a shaded grove of trees along the trail, and Ayize and Brianna were delighted to see someone had spray-painted many animal shapes on the asphalt there. Ayize enjoyed jumping on all of the animals as if they were some sort of hopscotch.
Out of the grove, and closing in on the bluff's point.
Ayize forged ahead, and Brianna held back slightly, but stuck close to him, as if for protection. Very cute!
Leaves of three, let it be!
My first close encounter with poison ivy (that I'm aware of). Tamara IDed it for me so I could snap a pic for future reference.
WOW.
Ayize loved looking down at the long freight trains passing below (can you spot them?) and at the swampland we had meandered through earlier.
Another family was there. The young parents also carried a 5ish-week-old puppy, which kind of broke my heart, as it was way too young to be away from its mommy and at the end of a thick leash. They were also all smoking like chimneys (grandparents included), and kind of scaring their toddler as they stood at the edge of the bluff and held him up high. This sounds terrible - they were actually very nice people - but anyway, all in all, kinda goofy.
The overtired toddler was torn between giggling and sobbing over the antics of his parents...
...so Ayize headed over briskly, where he admonished the adults that they, "Not make him fall down. It's too high!"
He told them this several times, very authoritatively, and they thought he was quite cute. As a bonus, his antics distracted them and they came to me to report all this before leaving to head back to their car.
Phew!
LOL
Awesome view.
La Crosse, in all its splendor.
Conversation.
Tamara and Brianna went down for a closer look on this little slope, while Ayize began to head back down the path towards the car, admiring butterflies and "corn" (actually, huge wheat stalks which sort of resembled corn stalks).
As we passed back through the shady portion of the trail, I stopped to admire nature's amazing symmetry and beauty.
Tamara stopped, too, and pointed out a very funky bird call to me, which was that of a rare bird's. We tried to record it on my iPhone microphone, but unfortunately, on playback, it was impossible to hear among the other noises of the forest. Still, it was a neat experience all around to be standing in the middle of this idyllic pocket of nature.
Back to reality. The kids spotted the gate we had entered through and raced to it.
Shockingly, they were not that interested in our rare bird call recordings!
Back at the homestead. Nathan was up and about. And predictably, playing with his giant Tonka truck.
The handsomest little Kewpie doll tow-headed li'l man in all La Crosse! I am so in love with Mr. Perfect Boy, it's shameless...
Exhausted. But still running on all six cylinders. My trooper.
Nathan suddenly experienced acute thirst and teared up until Tamara handed him a bottle of milk, which he CHUGGED. Suddenly, visions of future frat escapades danced in my head.
Ack - perish the thought! Never my Nathers...LOL
Thirst quenched, and our bags packed, we headed out for a combination Best Western Riverfront Hotel check-in and beach outing. The hotel went smoothly and I ditched our gear in our room while Tamara stayed in the car with the kids.
Then we drove back the way we came, just a block or two, and parked in a large, almost completely-empty lot. We walked past a changing area/restroom/outdoor shower facility and entered Black River Beach. Wow! No entry fee or tokens required...nice change from Evanston!
The beach itself was pretty small, but very clean and nice. There were some large plants and a few trees along the borders of the beach which provided welcome shade. A lifeguard house sat empty in the middle of the beach, and provided additional shade. And the water...so warm and welcoming! Ayize didn't waste a second - he just waded right on in.
He was lovin' it!
I wasn't too keen on the color of the water (goldish), but another beachgoer told us that the water was clean, but colored by natural elements and harmless by-products from some of the industries up and down the riverfront. Hmmm...not sure how harmless they actually were, but aside from the color, the water felt and smelled pretty normal, so I just hoped for the best! LOL
Ayize came across a little plant that had uprooted from somewhere upstream and floated within grabbing distance. He brought it to me to show me, and was very hopeful that we could "help" it.
So we planted it, smack dab in the middle of the beach. I think it lasted all of a half-hour before it was uprooted again by the gentle, but ceaselessly-persistent current, and continued on its floating way. Luckily, I don't think Ayize noticed til it was already adrift.
Picnic bench follies.
Wheee! Didn't look like the safest game, but Dad watched nonplussed, so I guess it was all good!
Ayize befriended this sweet little gal and her brother, and within no time, they were cavorting like the best of pals. Grandma was a youthful, painfully-thin, sun-scorched, tube top wearing, girlie novel-reading sideliner (but, characteristic of other La Crossians I met during my stay, very nice), and, after she realized the kids were entertaining themselves, she happily returned to her novel and her tanning.
Ayize and this little one played on the rocks along the shore, and had lots of fun balancing and splashing between the boulders.
Practicing surfing?
Brianna joined in the fun. And Ayize's kickboard, our $2.99 CVS special that provided him with so much joy all summer, did too!
Meanwhile, proud Nathers waded in ever deeper with Mommy's assistance.
Oh, Ayize. One of the most experimental kids I have ever met. I love his creativity and innovative thinking, but sometimes...
Sigh.
I finally confiscated the implement, which Ayize willingly handed over.
But then Nathan was all, "Can I have that?" because I think he thought that mouth-shoveling was looking pretty fun after Ayize's spectacular demo.
Fortunately, Ayize took responsibility for having previously set such a bad example, and agreeably set things to right by demonstrating other ways to shovel sand that would be considered more socially appropriate...ahem!
Brianna appeared about to jackknife, while Nathan let loose with a lovely string of drool that was completely forgivable on account of his being so darn adorable!
Cackling with delight as he "swam" around in the shallow water near the shore. This kid was born to be in the water!
Giving Mom's shoulder and back a workout again.
I remember those days...
Somebody call the modeling agency, quick! The kid is a natural...
Mommy lovefest, AKA "I shall use my mother to cruise since there's no furniture handy."
The grab and pull up...
...standing! And feeling quite victorious about it, from the looks of things.
Up and ready to move.
On the move. Circling around the back.
Moving right along.
Full circle almost complete.
And look at that expression. Cat that swallowed the canary, and deservedly so!
Swan song was the big big big hug he gave at the end.
There's no love like the love of a little boy for his Mommy. (At least, until he turns 3!)
Heading home. Golden Boy looked so cute, half-nekkid, strapped into his car seat, and - like the rest of us - ready for dinner, having worked up an enormous appetite after our long, fun day.
Driving home, Tamara pointed out this sign.
What the hecky does the verb "kraeusening" mean?? I won't even ask...
Dinnertime was an event. We ate pizza, leftovers from yesterday's delicious Indian curry, the best frickin garlic cheese bread in the world (I can't find it out here, so I'm consigned to live forever unsatisfied, having tasted the best there is), and lima beans, which we adults enjoyed, but Brianna appeared slightly less thrilled.
Here she was, deep in the throes of heavy negotiations with Mom and Dad over how many more beans she would have to eat in order to score a Tastee Freeze for dessert. Meanwhile, Ayize seriously put away some eight or ten slices of that garlic cheese bread. He was for serious about that stuff! Like mother, like son.
I should mention here that after the kids had finished their meal, Tamara and Dan and I were sitting around the table yakking. Dan and I split a beer, but teetotaler Tamara, sober as the day is long, was actually convinced by yours truly to sing a Japanese tune she learned long ago.
I managed to catch the entire performance on video, unbeknownst to her (though I fessed up at the song's conclusion, as the video proves), and I'll forever savor it, because it was such a funny night with two good friends. Dan was admonishing her for not doing all the accompanying hand gestures, and I could only begin to imagine what the complete performance might have been like!
I didn't post my vid, for fear that Tamara might do bodily harm to me - ha ha ha! But I still feel obliged to mention it here, for posterity's sake. Good times!
Anyway, we headed out to the back yard for some pre-bedtime fun. Nathan ditched his Tonka truck in favor of this ride-on, and made this awesome facial expression to proclaim his pleasure.
Brain freeze!
Dan, Brianna, and even Shadow looked on in awe as Ayize performed this crazy running/gutter-jumping/singing feat at the side of the house. I blame the sugar high...
Nathan had grown up so much in the short time since we'd last seen him. It was particularly fun to hear him saying some of his first words, and this video caught him saying a couple.
And by the way, if you watched to the end and are wondering, the photo below will answer the burning question of whether Brianna succeeded in getting Ayize's attention!
Yes, she did! And they resumed their ongoing, serial Frisbee game in the waning light of day.
Next, Ayize tried to get Shadow to play ball, and I sensed a good photo op.
I made Dan and Tamara pose together, and they mocked me with this cheesy Hallmark moment pose. Tsk, tsk, tsk. But it had us all laughing regardless!
Okay, one for serious. The original child took front and center stage.
All three kids in the mix now.
I wish I had taken the time to adjust the exposure better, but I didn't have an opportunity to re-shoot because a neighbor came over to introduce herself and the photo op moment was lost.
While the adults spoke about local preschools and daycares, Nathan wandered into the house and Brianna unwittingly closed him in a moment later. He was not a happy camper, but instead of crying about it, he simply tried to magically pass through the glass. Alas, it was a major, squishy-faced failure!
I opened the door and he stepped back outside, triumphant, and ready to crawl and Tonka truck his way to the big kids, who were out in the yard, playing computer.
Last game of the day.
The hour had grown super late - it was past 8 - so the kids headed upstairs to turn in, and Ayize and I headed out to drive to the hotel. This made Brianna very sad, though she cheered considerably at the realization that she would be the beneficiary of the small waterslide park inside our hotel in the coming days!
The sun was setting over the Mississippi River as I pulled into our hotel parking lot. I snapped this shot as we walked into the building. So beautiful and calm, and such a perfect evening!
Ridiculously-worded, repetitive sign posted just inside our hotel entrance, and - the English major in me screamed - an egregious run-on sentence, to boot!
Caramba...
I thought I could sneak past the pool, but Eagle Eyes AKA Ayize spotted this view from our second-floor balcony and there was no avoiding a swim after that! This is actually the center courtyard of the hotel, but it's been fully enclosed with a huge, clear-paneled top that blocks the sun's rays by day, but still allows for an amazing, star-studded nighttime view. Ayize couldn't resist a swim...and even though we were both exhausted, and I knew we probably shouldn't, I couldn't resist one either. Not after I saw all those stars through the ceiling...
We dashed to our room, threw on our swim gear, and flew back to the pool, where we swam from 9 to 10. Despite our busy, fun-filled day of endless physical activity, Ayize showed no signs of slowing down for the entire time we were in the pool.
My kid never fails to amaze me - he can always find the gas in his tank to go that extra mile, even when I know he's running on fumes!
Yee haw!
My whale-riding cowboy rocked furiously to and fro in the kiddie pool.
Crazy eyes!
"I'm gonna getcha, Mommy!"
The pool had a big basket filled with water toys, and Ayize made up his own game using a mini basketball, this scooper, and the water plumes rising up out of the shallow end of the kiddie pool.
Mini waterslide at the base of the lighthouse was mucho funno - I know, because I tried it too! Tiny, but powerful - we really got up some speed!
Finally time to turn in. Not a word of protest, my little guy just politely complied, even though I think he would have stayed in the three pools (we also enjoyed the big pool and the whirlpool) another hour if I had let him.
He fetched a hotel pool towel, wrapped it round his shoulders, and began drying his hair as we started the walk back to our room.
When did my little baby become this grown-up guy?
Travel always forces me to acknowledge how many changes have taken place since last we hit the road. It's something about the complete loss of our usual routine, and the many unique activities and situations we find ourselves in each day when we're away from home.
But on this particular day - as he rose to the challenges of constantly adapting and enduring again and again - he really took my breath away. Guess my baby boy isn't really such a "baby" anymore...and I'm as sad to acknowledge that as I am proud to witness what a wonderful little person he is growing up to be!
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