Take two $0.75 balloons, blow up and add two rambunctious cousins. What do you get? Utter joy. At least, that is, until one of the balloons pops.
Showing posts with label Gleason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gleason. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Nearly Wordless Wednesday
Take two $0.75 balloons, blow up and add two rambunctious cousins. What do you get? Utter joy. At least, that is, until one of the balloons pops.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Thing About Long Car Trips. . .
. . . is that you usually end up eating in the car. When we started our long journey last Friday night, we went through the drivethrough at Portillo's. There's nothing like hot dogs and cheese fries to start off a 5 hour journey in a rented minivan.
The other thing about car trips with kids is that they tend to sleep while the vehicle is moving. Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah went with us on our journey north, and that meant each child had a treasured relative to wait on him hand and foot. (At least as much as is possible while squished into a minivan packed to the ceiling with the various accoutrements of infancy and toddlerhood.)
Aunt Sarah sat next to baby Henry and fed him a bottle. This was why we rented a minivan, so that someone could stick a bottle in Henry's mouth when he got hungry. It worked like a charm. Soon, he fell asleep, and before long, both of my boys were completely out. They slept most of the way, and we arrived at our hotel room before midnight.
But the other thing about long car trips is that when little boys sleep for five hours in the car, they think it's morning time when we try to go to bed at the hotel. Henry, for example, kept Greg and I awake most of the night. We turned out the lights, settled down, and then Henry started cooing. He was wide awake, ready to play, and happy as a clam. All. Night.
A similar situation happened on the way back, and Henry kept me up from about 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., my prime sleeping times. So that is why I'm exhausted today.
The thing about long car trips is that they are exhausting.
The other thing about car trips with kids is that they tend to sleep while the vehicle is moving. Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah went with us on our journey north, and that meant each child had a treasured relative to wait on him hand and foot. (At least as much as is possible while squished into a minivan packed to the ceiling with the various accoutrements of infancy and toddlerhood.)
Aunt Sarah sat next to baby Henry and fed him a bottle. This was why we rented a minivan, so that someone could stick a bottle in Henry's mouth when he got hungry. It worked like a charm. Soon, he fell asleep, and before long, both of my boys were completely out. They slept most of the way, and we arrived at our hotel room before midnight.
But the other thing about long car trips is that when little boys sleep for five hours in the car, they think it's morning time when we try to go to bed at the hotel. Henry, for example, kept Greg and I awake most of the night. We turned out the lights, settled down, and then Henry started cooing. He was wide awake, ready to play, and happy as a clam. All. Night.
A similar situation happened on the way back, and Henry kept me up from about 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., my prime sleeping times. So that is why I'm exhausted today.
The thing about long car trips is that they are exhausting.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Some Sad News
On Tuesday morning, Greg and I received some sad news: his paternal grandmother passed away. Nick's Great-Grandma Marie lived to be 96 and was a sweet, wonderful lady who will be missed. This picture is from September 2009, when we brought Nick up to see her for her birthday.
This picture is from our trip up to the farm to see her last September. Great-Grandma Marie really enjoyed coloring with Nick, and even drew him some pictures that they talked about together.
Greg was close to his grandmother, but he's taking it very well, at least so far. While her passing wasn't unexpected, I think it's still a blow for him. Grandma Marie was his last living grandparent. Here they are in 2006, the first time he took me up to the farm to meet her. The first time I met Grandma Marie, I was struck by how spry she seemed for a lady of her age. Until just last year, she worked as a volunteer at a juvenile facility for troubled boys. I've never heard of someone working until the age of 95!
I think the fact that she lived such a long, full life helps. It's also wonderful that she was able to live long enough to see Nick and interact with him. Here she is with Nick (and Aunt Sarah) right after he was born.
Grandma Marie will definitely be missed.
This picture is from our trip up to the farm to see her last September. Great-Grandma Marie really enjoyed coloring with Nick, and even drew him some pictures that they talked about together.
Greg was close to his grandmother, but he's taking it very well, at least so far. While her passing wasn't unexpected, I think it's still a blow for him. Grandma Marie was his last living grandparent. Here they are in 2006, the first time he took me up to the farm to meet her. The first time I met Grandma Marie, I was struck by how spry she seemed for a lady of her age. Until just last year, she worked as a volunteer at a juvenile facility for troubled boys. I've never heard of someone working until the age of 95!
I think the fact that she lived such a long, full life helps. It's also wonderful that she was able to live long enough to see Nick and interact with him. Here she is with Nick (and Aunt Sarah) right after he was born.
Grandma Marie will definitely be missed.
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Trip Up North: Part Two
Today I'll talk about our Sunday up in Gleason, Wisconsin, and our trip back to Illinois. After we woke up at the hotel, we checked out and went back to the farm. Nick sure loved being outdoors. I'm glad we brought our jeans and long sleeved shirts, because it was a little bit chilly. We walked all over the property, and Nick picked up sticks and followed his Great Uncle Bob around like a little puppy.
Nick really liked the rocks on the gravel path, and he picked up a bunch and put them into a plastic cup. He brought them inside to show his Great Grandma Marie, and then he threw them on the floor. I guess he liked the noise they made.
There's an old Estonian Church on the property, from the 1800s, and it's all boarded up. It's kind of neat, actually, and the road is named after the church. Nick looked at it for a minute, then found an interesting stick to play with. Toddlers have short attention spans. My impressions of the farm? It's lovely and peaceful and chilly. I like the stars and the quiet and the smell of the woods. But I hate the mosquitoes. I believe I got over six bites just in two days. Nasty, big mosquito welts. At least the peacefulness of the woods makes up for the hours of scratching.
We had a delicious brunch with Nick's Great Grandma Marie, Great Uncle Bob, and Great Aunt Mary. Nick ate more bacon than any boy who's not even two should be able to eat! Then he asked for his "colors," and Nick and his grandma colored pictures together.
After we left Gleason, we drove for hours and hours while Nick (thankfully) napped peacefully in the car. He started to stir right around Madison, which is where we'd decided to stop for dinner and to walk around. Can you tell from the picture that I was glad to be finally out of the car? Madison is pretty cool for a college town, and I think I would've liked going to school there.
We really liked Madison, but at some point Greg and I realized that not only were we way too old to be mistaken for college students, but also . . . The kids who are freshman at this college right now? Were in diapers when Greg started college. Freaky. They were probably just in kindergarten when I started college. Sigh. Anyhow, it was an awesome college campus. Nick was glad to be out of the car, and he especially liked pushing the stroller up and down the sidewalk.
We stopped at a Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. It was super-expensive, but very yummy. I like the places where the costumed men keep bringing you different cuts of meat. Nick just liked playing with the meat tongs. He did eat a ton of beef, though.
After dinner, it was just a few more hours in the car to get home. Thankfully, Nick was tired and slept through most of the trip, with not too much screeching. We were so glad to be home and out of the car.
Nick really liked the rocks on the gravel path, and he picked up a bunch and put them into a plastic cup. He brought them inside to show his Great Grandma Marie, and then he threw them on the floor. I guess he liked the noise they made.
There's an old Estonian Church on the property, from the 1800s, and it's all boarded up. It's kind of neat, actually, and the road is named after the church. Nick looked at it for a minute, then found an interesting stick to play with. Toddlers have short attention spans. My impressions of the farm? It's lovely and peaceful and chilly. I like the stars and the quiet and the smell of the woods. But I hate the mosquitoes. I believe I got over six bites just in two days. Nasty, big mosquito welts. At least the peacefulness of the woods makes up for the hours of scratching.
We had a delicious brunch with Nick's Great Grandma Marie, Great Uncle Bob, and Great Aunt Mary. Nick ate more bacon than any boy who's not even two should be able to eat! Then he asked for his "colors," and Nick and his grandma colored pictures together.
After we left Gleason, we drove for hours and hours while Nick (thankfully) napped peacefully in the car. He started to stir right around Madison, which is where we'd decided to stop for dinner and to walk around. Can you tell from the picture that I was glad to be finally out of the car? Madison is pretty cool for a college town, and I think I would've liked going to school there.
We really liked Madison, but at some point Greg and I realized that not only were we way too old to be mistaken for college students, but also . . . The kids who are freshman at this college right now? Were in diapers when Greg started college. Freaky. They were probably just in kindergarten when I started college. Sigh. Anyhow, it was an awesome college campus. Nick was glad to be out of the car, and he especially liked pushing the stroller up and down the sidewalk.
We stopped at a Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. It was super-expensive, but very yummy. I like the places where the costumed men keep bringing you different cuts of meat. Nick just liked playing with the meat tongs. He did eat a ton of beef, though.
After dinner, it was just a few more hours in the car to get home. Thankfully, Nick was tired and slept through most of the trip, with not too much screeching. We were so glad to be home and out of the car.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Trip Up North: Part One
Last weekend, Greg and I took Nick up north to his family's farm in Gleason, Wisconsin. We go every year. It was quite a long trip to make for just two days, but it was for a special occasion. Greg's Grandma Marie (that would be Nick's great grandmother) just turned 96 years old. We usually go up there every year for her birthday, to see her and Greg's Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary, who live at the farm, too.
It was a very long car trip (over 6 hours one way), because we were way up, north of Wausau. We left Friday night right after work, and drove all the way to Rockford before we stopped for dinner. It's a good thing we stopped there, because at that point, Nick had been screaming nonstop for a good 45 minutes. It was time to get him out of the car before we all sustained hearing loss. We stopped at a place called Thunder Bay Grille, and the food was pretty good. Nick sure liked it.
After dinner, we changed Nick into his pajamas because we knew we would be travelling long into the night. It was funny because the changing table at this restaurant was really high off the ground, and Nick got really scared. He was clingy and sobbing and truly scared. I haven't seen that side of Nick very often. Apparently, he's afraid of heights. That doesn't seem to apply when he is climbing on the furniture, though.
We didn't get to our hotel (in Merril, Wisconsin) until about 11:30 p.m. Nick had been sleeping for hours by that point, which is why we had decided to travel at night. Containing a screaming child in the car for six hours when he'd rather be running is a nightmare, and we wanted to avoid the trouble. It wasn't a bad plan, even though Greg was extremely tired by the time we arrived.
First thing Saturday morning, we headed straight for the farm. Well, after stopping for coffee at McDonald's. You know you're in the middle of nowhere when the nearest Starbucks is an hour away. Sigh. But we persevered, and Nick loved running around outside on the farm.
It's funny how the weather just one state up can be so very different. We went from 90 degree heat on Thursday in Illinois, to Friday night in the mid-40s at our hotel room in Merril, WI. Good thing we brought our sweaters and jeans!
Everything is so beautiful in this part of Wisconsin--and quiet! You can hear each individual car even if it's a couple of miles away. Nick loved watching the sky for birds and airplanes.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob took us all out to dinner at a golf club nearby. I was very glad I'd brought some crayons and some little animals for Nick to play with. He's been getting more snuggly with his toys lately, and he kept hugging and kissing the little zebras.
Great-Grandma Marie watched him play and laughed when he threw his toys.
Nick enjoyed lobster, beef tenderloin, and fried chicken. He also ate salad, french fries, mushrooms, and green beans. Then he had ice cream for dessert. I cannot believe how skinny this child is compared to how much he eats. Here's a picture of Nick with his Great Uncle Bob, Great Aunt Mary, and Great-Grandma Marie. This was after dessert, thus the giant smile on Nick's face.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel for a swim. This was Nick's first time staying in a hotel, and he seemed to like it. He was especially interested in climbing into the drawers, so we had watch him pretty carefully. Stealing things out of our suitcases, screeching randomly, and climbing everything in sight, Nick thought hotel rooms were pretty cool. I don't know what our neighbors thought of all the noise. Nick loved opening the refrigerator. . .
. . . and stealing my sunglasses.
Tomorrow I'll write about Sunday with Great Grandma and our trip through Madison and back to Illinois. :)
It was a very long car trip (over 6 hours one way), because we were way up, north of Wausau. We left Friday night right after work, and drove all the way to Rockford before we stopped for dinner. It's a good thing we stopped there, because at that point, Nick had been screaming nonstop for a good 45 minutes. It was time to get him out of the car before we all sustained hearing loss. We stopped at a place called Thunder Bay Grille, and the food was pretty good. Nick sure liked it.
After dinner, we changed Nick into his pajamas because we knew we would be travelling long into the night. It was funny because the changing table at this restaurant was really high off the ground, and Nick got really scared. He was clingy and sobbing and truly scared. I haven't seen that side of Nick very often. Apparently, he's afraid of heights. That doesn't seem to apply when he is climbing on the furniture, though.
We didn't get to our hotel (in Merril, Wisconsin) until about 11:30 p.m. Nick had been sleeping for hours by that point, which is why we had decided to travel at night. Containing a screaming child in the car for six hours when he'd rather be running is a nightmare, and we wanted to avoid the trouble. It wasn't a bad plan, even though Greg was extremely tired by the time we arrived.
First thing Saturday morning, we headed straight for the farm. Well, after stopping for coffee at McDonald's. You know you're in the middle of nowhere when the nearest Starbucks is an hour away. Sigh. But we persevered, and Nick loved running around outside on the farm.
It's funny how the weather just one state up can be so very different. We went from 90 degree heat on Thursday in Illinois, to Friday night in the mid-40s at our hotel room in Merril, WI. Good thing we brought our sweaters and jeans!
Everything is so beautiful in this part of Wisconsin--and quiet! You can hear each individual car even if it's a couple of miles away. Nick loved watching the sky for birds and airplanes.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob took us all out to dinner at a golf club nearby. I was very glad I'd brought some crayons and some little animals for Nick to play with. He's been getting more snuggly with his toys lately, and he kept hugging and kissing the little zebras.
Great-Grandma Marie watched him play and laughed when he threw his toys.
Nick enjoyed lobster, beef tenderloin, and fried chicken. He also ate salad, french fries, mushrooms, and green beans. Then he had ice cream for dessert. I cannot believe how skinny this child is compared to how much he eats. Here's a picture of Nick with his Great Uncle Bob, Great Aunt Mary, and Great-Grandma Marie. This was after dessert, thus the giant smile on Nick's face.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel for a swim. This was Nick's first time staying in a hotel, and he seemed to like it. He was especially interested in climbing into the drawers, so we had watch him pretty carefully. Stealing things out of our suitcases, screeching randomly, and climbing everything in sight, Nick thought hotel rooms were pretty cool. I don't know what our neighbors thought of all the noise. Nick loved opening the refrigerator. . .
. . . and stealing my sunglasses.
Tomorrow I'll write about Sunday with Great Grandma and our trip through Madison and back to Illinois. :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Relaxing Places, a Baby with a Squash, and a Walk on the Farm
I really do believe that you can tell a lot from one, badly balanced, poorly shot photo. This is my screened-in porch, and one of my all time favorite places. It is one of Molly's favorite places, too. She loves the view of the bird feeders, which I finally refilled. It's free kitty TV for her to sit out there and watch the feeders, which are now covered with finches and all manner of little birdies. Unfortunately, as soon as I try to photograph them, they fly away.I just bought myself the cup you see on the table. It was half off at Starbucks on the clearance rack. I've wanted that cup for months now, but refused to pay the exhorbitant regular price. Now it sits happily on my patio table, filled with cafe con leche, with 4 splendas, whipped cream and sprinkles on top. (Hey, a gal's gotta enjoy life.) This is one of my favorite spaces, because I can enjoy the view of the pond and the birds and listen to the sound of the outdoors. I'm pretty decent at making myself relax, and this is my favorite place to do it; I put my feet up, sip my coffee, and just breathe.
The book is Steven Pinker's "The Stuff of Thought," which is a complicated but fascinating treastise on linguistics and the evolution of language. So far I'm loving it, but I'm reading it in small parts, perhaps a chapter a day or so. Now that I'm back to work, my reading has slowed a bit. 
Entertaining Nick has become an interesting challenge lately. He quickly becomes bored in the baby cage, so I've been trying to find new things that he can play with. Today it was a pot, a spoon, and a yellow squash from my garden. Not sure why he liked the squash so much, but hey, whatever works.
His latest trick has been to squirt his bottle all over the place. Today he squished it all over the rug and the comforter I have under the baby cage. Then he soaked his onesie. Thus the reason he is nearly naked.
This last place is a very peaceful, quiet wooded setting. It was taken on Saturday, up by Greg's Grandma's farm in Gleason, Wisconsin. The ruins in the back are of the Estonian Church, and Greg told me he thought it was haunted when he was a child. It sure looks spooky. The property in Gleason is beautiful, and the weather was just lovely. Usually it's pretty cold when we go in September. I wish we would have had more time to enjoy it; we arrived after 2:30 on Saturday and had to leave around 10 a.m. Sunday.
You can see the farmhouse behind the trees. It is small and very quaint, especially compared to the property, which is expansive and wooded. The air smells fresh and clean, and it really is lovely, except for the mosquitoes. They are why we ended up only having a short walk. After one trip up the driveway and back, a few of them started swarming Greg. One was flying around Nick, so he rushed the stroller back towards the house and safety. (Greg is afraid of West Nile Virus. Not that I like mosquitoes much myself.)
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