Monday, August 15, 2011
We packed in a whole lot - including double pool duty (one small, one big) - during day two of our trip!
But to begin at the beginning...Ayize slept until 9 a.m.
I was up from 8 on and enjoyed not just a full night's sleep, but also a hot, uninterrupted shower before he finally roused. Here he was, bathed in morning light, snoozing soundly.
Best traveling bud ever!
=)
While he was sleeping, I meandered downstairs and peered out the kitchen window as I drank a huge glass of water.
I had to laugh as I looked outside at this bird feeder - everyone EXCEPT the birds was enjoying a morning meal! And as this messy squirrel dropped bits onto the ground below, the rabbit enjoyed every fallen morsel.
Nathan, hard at work at his favorite activity (truck-assisted walking).
Up and at 'em (finally), and joining in the fun with some microwave-top drumming.
Enjoying the morning air on the back deck. Brianna showed us her pool, and Ayize pointed out a huge grasshopper that was struggling in the water. I grabbed a stick and scooped it out, freeing it at the side of the porch.
The kids all rushed to admire my handiwork and say goodbye to the cold, but happy, grasshopper, who wisely beat a hasty retreat before the kids could get too close!
Ayize and Brianna created an elaborate game involving frisbees and this strange contraption, and Nathan wanted in on the action, too.
Batter up!
Crawling all over the porch at top speed.
Off to the La Crosse version of Whole Foods to grab groceries. I loved this sign. Only in the Badger State...
Back home, and after unloading the perishables, we were off to the park down the street from Tamara's house. We came down the hill to the horizontal road pictured, then climbed up another large hill to the park in yesterday's photo (the one with the deer).
Here's the view from the park. Tamara's backyard is along the vertical road rising up at right, a couple of houses in. I guess you could say the road is her alley! LOL
Another view of the hill we'd just climbed to the park.
Ayize loved running up and down the hill, and panting dramatically (though to his credit, it was hot as hecky that day).
How does one end up in this compromising position?
Watch this video to find out!
All aboard the animal train!
Old-school seal.
A little help from big sis.
Happy man, having trouble balancing because of the angle of the lawn.
Executing his signature move with flair: "sooo big"!
We left the park and began a hilly, undulating stroll to a school playground (Brianna's future elementary school!) about 20 minutes away. To be more precise, it took 5 minutes to walk there downhill, but 15 minutes to walk back home!
En route, we passed some neat houses and gardens. I loved this front porch.
Big, beautiful butterflies everywhere, enjoying the native wildflowers and weeds that bordered the sidewalk.
Brianna's future grade school sits in a huge field bordered by gorgeous bluffs.
Climbers: a triumvirate portraiture.
Doorway to another dimension?
This big boy had spun its web among the tall grass right at the gated entrance to the forest. I almost stepped on it, but Ayize warned me as I drew close to follow the kids with my camera. His eagle eye had already spotted it.
Ayize, friend to all animals! Gotta love this kid...
Hansel und Gretel moment. Minus the bread crumbs.
The big blue hat.
Headed home. The little snick-snack figured out a neat trick!
Little spy, big eyes.
Back home, I fixed veggie cheeseburgers all around while the kids played.
Ayize made a humorous, alarmed face when he warned me that Nathan was doing some illicit climbing in the play room!
Ayize and Brianna cleaning up before lunch time.
Cinderella and Cinderello, extraordinaire.
Hey! I guess birds really DO eat at this bird feeder, too!
Broom war!
It was naptime for Nathan, and the Broom War was not aiding and abetting his sleep. So outside we headed. Tamara hung laundry across her expansive yard, Shadow keeping a close watch over her every move...
...while Ayize dropped trou and grabbed some sporting gear to haul out to the pool, which we'd filled and placed in the shade at the side of the house.
Time for a rousing game of bat-sliding.
Brianna giggled to see his Ayize's antics.
Naked wooden playhouse was next on the agenda.
Bubble-blowing, too.
We dried off the kids and got them dressed. Brianna went inside to catch a TV show while Ayize played computer on the back porch. They were so good about keeping quiet for Nathan!
Nathan woke up after a good long nap, and we headed out. It was time to take our pool action to the next level!
Sadly, when we arrived at Erickson Pool, we were informed that there had been a regrettable Baby Ruth moment prior to our arrival, and no one was allowed to go in the water for another 30 minutes.
It was a hard wait for the kids on a hot, hot day. They killed time by talking about what they were going to do once they were in the water (the big waterslide in the background topped off Ayize's list of desires).
He rolled down this meager hill several times.
Nathan crawled along the deck to the pool's edge, got scooped up just before entering the pool, and cried with frustration several times. Brianna enjoyed some Pirate's Booty.
More minutes passed.
Nathan gave up on his thwarted attempts and did a little dancing poolside instead. Cutey patootie!
Finally, the big moment arrived.
YEEEEEE HAAAAAWWWWWW!
OHHHH, yeah!
Woo hoo!
As requested, we began with some watersliding. He clearly loved it!
The first time we've been to a pool where he was allowed to do a big waterslide on my lap (he actually does them solo, but can get a lot more speed when on Mommy's lap, though we purposely put on the brakes for this video).
This place is apparently well-known for its log-rolling classes. I spotted the logs.
Very cool!
Little swimmer.
Underwater shots as the kids climbed out of the pool using the ladder.
Blowing bubbles!
Jolly trio.
Going in for the hug...
HUG!!!
I remember that trip as being the last days before Nathan took the plunge and learned to walk. He was in the frenzied state of pre-walking where he was always looking for a hand to grab onto to pull himself up so that he could do some one-handed walking. He was very sad when no hands responded quickly...
..and very happy when hands responded, especially when he got a pair of them!
Though sometimes, once up and walking, he explored things that...
...he later regretted! LOL
Ayize "riding" the water horse.
Very happy little boy! Sooo close to walking solo...
What a wonderful way to cool off! Baby Ruth notwithstanding, it was the perfect pool outing.
Drying off and snacking post-pool, before heading home for dinner. Nathan bore a look of great concentration but I suspect he was actually in the midst of creating the swim diaper disaster that was about to unfold upon us moments later...and it was SIGNIFICANTLY disastrous!
Ha ha ha!
Back at the house. Tamara was whipping up the most amazing dinner - a vegetarian Indian curry she'd been simmering in the crockpot all day, plus some delicious garlic cheese bread and steamed broccoli on the side - three of Ayize's favorite foods.
Meanwhile, I hung with the tots in the play room.
Ayize scanned the horizon to see what was going down.
He spotted...Nathan pushing a button on a musical caboose.
Nathan began dancing to the little tune. Hilarious!
I prayed the entire scenario would play out again for the benefit of my little videocamera, and Lady Luck was on my side. You are about to witness my all-time favorite video of Nathan, EVER. Enjoy!
Using Brianna's jump rope to fashion a bridle for his horse. Playing cowboy was a fave pastime all summer.
The kids headed outside for some pseudo-badminton fun. Ayize served up a volley...
...then got ready for Brianna's return.
A sneaky garden hose got the best of him as he ran to return her hit, and it was MAN DOWN.
But you can't keep a good man down, so the game went on.
Meanwhile, Nathan played the drums for me on a garbage can, yuk yuk yuk.
The big kids played house and Nathers came on the run. A total "Me too! Me too!" moment. Brought back memories of my own childhood, as I was the youngest of four.
The never-ending fun of dump-truck walking. Oh, the joy! And so adorable to watch, too.
Especially having witnessed the ticking down of time with my own little guy, and knowing how short truck-walk-time would be...true walking was, in the grand scheme of things, really just a few short steps away (horrible pun intended).
Back inside, Ayize coached Nathan in the art of badminton.
He was a very patient coach indeed. My guy is a baby lover, truly, from the heart.
Delicious dinner ensued. DELICIOUS! A truly memorable meal. And the best company! Good times all around.
Afterwards, the kids enjoyed some Flavor Ices. A first for Ayize. He found them to be delightfully messy and cold and colorful and sweet!
Nathan, aware that he's getting short-shrifted. The big kids are sucking on some bright blue candy looking thangs. dad is waving a danged chocolate-covered ice cream bar all up in his Kool Ade. And he's supposed to finish his broccoli?? Baby was NOT having it. He wisely gave voice to his rage.
Good things resulted. And Nathers was a happy boy!
Back outside to play away the last of the day post-supper. Everyone was having a wonderful time, but we were all so wrecked from too much fun and sun. Even the wooden dolls from the playhouse were wilting in the last of the sun's light! Hardy har har.
Ayize and his "snowshoes". An inventive one, that boy!
Helping Dan with a wheelbarrow full of weeds. Tamara got quite ambitious and tore out a massive amount of weedage in record time, post-dinner. I was impressed!
Bedtime for the littlest guy. And an anatomy lesson, to boot!
Brianna, faking sleep. Though she probably really was tired, as we all were.
Tandem tooth-brushing. Doesn't get any cuter than these moments of childhood. I was loving it!
The big kids were down for the count, but Nathan woke up crying a short while later. And just when we were really enjoying our brandy-cranberry juice concoctions that Dan had whipped up as sleep aides for us all! LOL
Nathan convinced his parents to give him a little late-night workout.
Boy, do I remember those days, when Ayize was on the cusp of walking. It seemed as if his brain was so stimulated by the major game change about to occur, that sleep became totally erratic, and was punctuated by these frequent periods of wakeful, hyper, almost-walking, energy expenditures.
Silly, giggly, overtired, overstimulated, about-to-walk, little dude!
"I did it, Mama! I did it!"
Getting a biceps workout from Dad.
I was psyched to be there during such a momentous time in Nathan's life. And a little sad, too, because it does seem to me that the moment kids begin walking, they truly leave babyhood behind, and toddlerhood starts in earnest. And growth, intelligence, language, abilities - all that really cool stuff, but also all that really grown-up stuff - begin to multiply exponentially, and much more rapidly, then when they were lumpy little cute couch potato crawly kidlets.
How time flies.
Way to go, Nathan!
Won't be long now. You're on your way, kid!
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