Weekends of Adventure

The last two weekends have been full of a lot of fun things.  Last weekend we went to the WWII weekend and air show at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Redding, PA and yesterday Boo, Mom and I went to Rehoboth Beach for the day.  (I love vacation days!)

I was hoping to post about the air show at some point last week, but the furthest I got was to get all 30-some pictures downloaded off the camera, edited (and played with in some cases) and posted up to Flickr.  That's really taking a lot of time and energy lately.  I've been splitting my valuable free time among too many activities again...

Anyhow, the air show at MAAM was very cool.  Most of the clan went.  Gak stayed home because he needed a day to himself before his one (now two) weeks of working open to close the entire week.  (That's a whole other post and I'm not going to get into it...)  Also, Barb, Norm and the boys joined us for a bit as well as Steve, Shelby and her two and Steph's dad came along as well..  There was so much to see and watch.  Everyone had a pretty good time over all.  I had a lot of fun with my camera and taking pictures of the planes, the trucks and motorcycles and the people too.  I loved being able to shoot in B&W or color at the flip of a switch, but there were times when I was doing the editing this week that I was seriously missing the smell of fixer and the seclusion of working in a darkroom.  Yes, I'm a geek that way.  I miss getting messy for my art.

Anyhow, if you want to see all of the pictures from the air show, you'll have to click the link to go to my Flikr page.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Yesterday I had a vacation day planned.  So, a few weeks ago I asked Mom if she wanted to go where the sand meets the water for the day.  She jumped on it and said "yes!" in a heartbeat.  I really do enjoy these trips with her.  It gives us a day together, which we don't get often these days, and a chance to get away.  (Not to mention the chance to eat Grotto Pizza and ice cream and play in the sand and the water...)  It's a nice time to relax and catch up and play.  Something we've both been needing.

Anyhow, Boo had a total blast in the sand as usual.  I think we had enough sand toys for three or four little boys.  I really love the ones that Aunt Eileen and Uncle Joe got Boo for his birthday.  (Boo really liked the shovel out of that one too...).  Boo just loves, loves, loves sand and digging in it.  But not mud.  Nothing squishy for my boy.
And he doesn't like the water much.  He loves splashing in rain puddles and will happily spend half an hour in the tub some days.  But the pool isn't such a marvelous thing and the surf... forget it, he won't go near it!  We convinced him to help carry the buckets to get them filled with water, and he got about halfway from our blanket to the waves, turned around and ran in a straight line right for our spot.  He did the same thing last year too.  Oh well.  Maybe we'll have to take him over to Indian River inlet (at Pot-Nets even though we don't know anyone over there any more, which is sad and another story...) and see if he likes little waves any better.

We had a great day.  We dropped Poppa off at work, picked Amma up at her house and then had a fairly uneventful drive down.  We stopped at the McDonalds right at route 24 for a smoothy and to change, then it was to the beach!  I actually found a spot about a block and a half up, right on the Avenue.  We got there right around 10:30 or so and it was just about a perfect weather day.  The sun was out, the temperature wasn't too hot and there was a nice breeze (which got a little too playful at times, but was very nice over all).

We spent a good two hours almost on the beach and then went and had pizza at the Grotto's on the boardwalk.  (No pictures of the pizza this year, sorry Jon, but you'll be out here in two weeks and can enjoy some for yourself.)  Then there was a slight misadventure with a swim diaper holding half a bucket of salt water and lemonade and the parking meter as well.... Then back to the sand for a little bit until we had a tired boy.  Boo actually managed to sleep in his stroller for just about an hour.  Most of that time Amma and I spent either sitting in or wandering around in Browse About Books.  (Unfortunately, I couldn't remember any books I was looking for, and they're not almost more "stuff" than books.  They're still one of my favorite books stores though.)

Anyhow, I have an awake boy and I need to get ready for work.  Just enough time to slap some pictures in here and get going.

Peace to all and may your weekends (and weeks....) be filled with fun adventures!

Three Years!

Three years old! My boy-o turned three on Tuesday.


Where has the time gone? I really don’t know, but I do know that I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Boo has really made our lives so much more full and interesting. (Sure, there are days when I wish we could just up and go out or something without worrying about someone to watch Boo or things like that, but over all, I’m very happy with our life.)


So, time for a little updating. There are both bigger and fewer changes to report now days compared to when he was first born.

At his doctor’s appointment Thursday, which he barely even cried at this time, he was 38” tall and 30 lb even. This puts him just above 50% on height, and between 25 and 50% on weight, at least according to the charts I have. Developmentally he’s right on track and unless he gets sick, we don’t have to go back to the doctor until next June for his 4-year-old checkup! Amazing. And, considering he’s a pretty healthy little boy over all, we may not have to go over the winter. The challenge will be to remember to make the appointment next spring.


Like I said, developmentally he’s right on track. He loves to scribble and can draw a straight line if you ask and he’s willing. No shapes or anything recognizable, but his doctor said that’s normal for this age. He can jump and run and balance on one foot with ease. He talks and talks and talks (I have no idea where he gets that from looks innocent) and uses lots of words and full sentences and paragraphs really. He loves to look at pictures and identify them and will tell you the story based on the pictures. He loves to point out the big cutout of Frog whenever we go to the book store, and happily states that “he’s up there!” in reference to Harold (of purple crayon fame…).


He’s pretty good with his alphabet and can say it if he wants. He’ll often start at “E” or “F”, but that’s OK. He can count to at least 20 and when counting things will even remember to stop at the right number most of the time. (Although, there are times he’ll just keep going because he likes counting.)


As far as potty training and other personal care tasks, that’s where he needs to come along. He’s not behind, but he’s not ahead either.

I think our son is one of the only children I’ve ever known who does not want to take off his clothes. He can take off his pants and pull them up again if you don’t give him an option. He can put on his shirt with help. If you pester him enough, he’ll take off his shoes. (He loves to sort of wave his hands at his shoes and pitifully whine “I can’t!” whenever you ask him to do this…)

As far as potty training goes, well, it doesn’t. Day care still is putting him on the potty when he wakes from naps, even though he really doesn’t want to. We’ve been trying to put him on the potty firs thing in the morning and before bed, but if he says no when we ask if he needs to go/wants to go we don’t force the issue. He really doesn’t care yet if he’s wet or stinky. Every once in a while he’ll ask to go potty, but about 80% of the time this is a stall tactic, and the other 20% it’s well after the fact that he’s already peed his diaper. He’ll use going to the potty as a stall tactic at dinner or when we’re out if we’re asking him to do/eat something he doesn’t want to do or eat. It is frustrating, and we know it’s a stall tactic, but I’m not going to not take him just on the off chance that he isn’t bluffing.

He’s obsessed with the Elmo Potty Time DVD we got him and the “Bear in Underwear” book he got recently as well. But, if you ask him if he’s going to wear underwear or if he’s going to use the potty, his usual answer is a simple head shake or a “no”.

Oh well, we’ll get there. It’ll be a long, frustrating and annoying trip, but we’ll get there. This isn’t something any of us can force. (Although the thought of putting him in underwear for a couple of days when we’re home and dealing with the resulting mess is appealing at times. I think a good part of the problem is that he honestly doesn’t feel when he’s wet or realize how icky it is with the way diapers are today…)


Anyhow, enjoy the dragon picture at the top of the post. I’ve got to get back to work, but thought I’d give a “quick” update with where our wonderful, amazing little boy is. I realize I gave you a lot of facts, but I didn’t really give you much of his personality. He continues to be a sweet, loving, heart-meltingly adorable boy. He’s fun to be around (although the tantrums have been flaring a bit of late) and has enough imagination for 3 or 4 kids his age. He really is a joy to have around.



Peace to all and may your checkups be good and time be slow through the good parts.

Birthday Picnic

Yesterday was our annual Memorial Day picnic and Boo's birthday party.  I can't actually believe that my baby boy will be three years old on Wednesday.

Anyhow there were a few minor emergencies at the beginning of the day that caused a bit of chaos unrelated to the actual picnic.  But other than that, everything went well.  We had a lot of fun.  There was a lot of food, good friends and family.

Michelle is visiting for the long weekend on her way back to Virginia from Canada.  She'll be home for a few months before heading out again.  This time to Pakistan, unless she can't get a visa, which is highly possible since they haven't been issuing any since March or so.  Anyhow, it has been awesome to have her around for the last few days.  I'll miss her when she leaves again and am not looking forward to her leaving the country again.

Hopefully I'll have more pictures up (all of May actually) soon.  Enjoy the picture at the top.  Boo was really getting into his ice cream, literally!  I would write more tonight but I'm being distracted by Big Bang Theory.

Peace to all and may your picnics be fun and your birthdays be happy.

Not So Gray

Well, I managed to make it through the weekend.  Saturday was a very nice day.  Except for the fact that I don't think my son actually fell asleep at nap time, but was just very, very quiet in his room for a couple of hours.
Oh well, it worked out in the long run.  I did manage to get in a wonderful ride both Friday and Saturday evening.  Friday I rode almost 3 miles in about 20 minutes and Saturday I took the long way up to the shopping center, did a bit of shopping and rode back, for about a 20 minute ride then as well.
Saturday was also Quakertown's Arts Alive festival downtown.  Boo and I went there after we did the laundry.  It was a good bit of fun as alway.  I purchased a mug for my mom within about 5 minutes of getting there.  It's this awesome dark green mug that looks somewhat like leaves and has this handsome frog perched on it near the lip on the one side.  Of course, I couldn't hold on to it until Christmas, and gave it to her yesterday.  She loved it.  I'm glad she did.  It was worth every penny, just because it's a mug, and a frog and fun and especially because it's hand made.  I love hand made things.  They're so much more special than any old store bought, mass produced thing.  Hand made things have souls.

Yesterday went both better and worse than I'd expected.  It went better because Dad had managed to plug in the docking station and I only needed to rearrange a few things.  (That is, plug the printer and mouse into the dock instead of the laptop, hence the whole idea of a dock...)  For some reason the games that come with Windows 7 weren't installed and I have no idea if they have a disk or where it would be.  So, I did a quick search and found a nice, free, online solitaire game and bookmarked it for Dad, putting an icon on the desktop as well.
The bad part is the fact that the router died.  This threw people into a panic and I had to spend a little time troubleshooting.  Thankfully I was on call this past week so I had my own laptop with me.  Once I found the control panel I was looking for on the new computer and verified that the NIC was working, I tried my own computer to verify that it was the router that had a problem, not the laptop.  It was the router and about an hour or so later it totally died.  (Thankfully it only took about 5 minutes on the phone with Verizon to verify this, they amazingly didn't have me do a million stupid things, and Mom and Dad should be getting a new one tomorrow.)
The other bad part happened while Gak, Boo and I were at Trader Joe's before going home.  (Boo hadn't napped so we really wanted to get home before dinner time, so that if he did nap in the car, it wouldn't get in the way of bed time...)  The computer apparently started acting up and got real hot and Mom had to hard boot the thing to shut it down.  So, of course we go over there and end up eating dinner there after I check out the computer.  Yes, it was still a bit warmer than I'd expect after being off for 10 or 15 minutes.  No, I couldn't find anything wrong and it stayed fine for the next hour or so.  But, even small things get complicated these days.

Yesterday was obviously not a great day for Dad.  We had the same conversation about the router being dead about 5 times in 4 minutes.  He honestly didn't remember just having it.  I just went along with it though and was patient, but not patronizing.  He also couldn't remember where or even when he'd got the computer or if it had been paid for etc.  I just reminded him gently of what I could and brushed aside other things.  It hurt to see him this way, but this is the new reality.  And this will be the new reality for a while (who knows how long) and then we'll have some weeks that we think are just "bad weeks" and then we'll all realize that it's the new reality.  It's painful for everyone involved.  This isn't something like heart disease or diabetes or something like that that mostly hurts the person suffering from it but can go unseen by most everyone else and they're unaffected by it until the very end.  Nope, this monster affects everyone in Dad's life.  Yes, mostly him, but us too and in a very personal way.  By the time this monster rears it's ugly head, there is no more quiet lurking in the background.  Everyone close to the person with the monster knows it and has to fight it.  Not fun.  Not fun at all.

Anyhow, PopPop had a very nice time with his grandson and I managed to ensure that the laptop is up and running and spend a bit of quality time with my dad myself.  So, overall it was a good day, even if it wasn't quite as smooth as I'd hoped, but smoother than it could have been in many ways.

Oh, I do have the rest of the pictures from April and the handful of pictures from May off the camera and edited.  But I'm too tired to be creative with captions and upload them to Flickr.  Maybe tomorrow.  Hopefully tomorrow.  I've got a lot of things to get done between now and Sunday.

Peace to you all and may your weekends not be too gray and your time full of quality.

Gray

I am feeling gray today.  I'm feeling very gray.
There are several reasons for this.  Some of which I can control, most I cannot.
I'm feeling gray because it's raining.  Again.  There has been some rain every single day for at least the last 7.  I'm getting tired of it.  I feel like I'm about to mildew or something.  Don't get me wrong, there has been a few breaks in the rain and the sun has even shone brightly for a bit, but almost always while I was sitting at my desk.  (I'm not sure I'm thankful or unhappy that there is now a skylight right near my desk that I can see if I sit up straight.)  Thankfully tomorrow should clear up a bit and Sunday should be good.  But, over the next two weeks every day but two or three has at least some mention of the possibility of rain. *sigh*

I'm feeling gray because things are getting a bit negative at work again.  The workload is getting much better.  We're actually getting ahead of the curve for a change, which is great.  It means that we can take better and faster care of the customer issues.  Unfortunately, there's also been a lot of negativity floating around the office with some decisions that have been made.  Oh, and we've been dealing with office construction for over a month now and will be dealing with it at least another week or so I'm guessing.  (The downstairs is almost done, but they've got to finish the surrounds of the new skylights up here, pull down the existing cubes and fix the walls,paint, carpet and put the cubes back up...)  It's not going to be fun at all.  There are parts of this that I can control.  I can control my own outlook.  I can try and be a positive person and try and find the positives even in the negative decisions that have been coming our way.  There is good going on, but so many in the building can't or won't see it, so it gets me down too.

I'm a little gray because of some news from Cynthia at the office.  She told us yesterday that she's pregnant and due in January.  Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic about that.  She and Jason have been trying for a while now.  They'll make awesome parents and I'm so very happy for them.  But, it was a reminder that if everything had worked out, I would be just a week or two shy of having my second.  Most days I'm ok with our current decision to not really try for a second.  But, I will admit, that some days, days like yesterday, a not-so-small part of me is jealous and sad that at this stage, more than likely Boo will be an only child.  Financially, and even emotionally in some small ways, it's for the best, but my heart doesn't always like that answer.
There, I put that in writing.  I guess it's been festering for a while.

But, the biggest reason I think that I'm feeling gray is because of Sunday.  This coming Sunday that is.  Mom and Dad got a new computer for the business.  It's a laptop with Windows 7.  The reason that they got a laptop is because Windows 7 is a new operating system for Dad and by having a laptop, he'll be able to take it back and forth between home and the shop and everything will be the same.  This is key because Dad's really having problems these days.  There, I said it.  I've been able to ignore it a bit, but I can't any more.
Anyhow, on Sunday I am going down to Mom and Dad's to set up the docking station at the house so that way it really will be set up the same as at the shop.  All he'll have to do is put it on the dock and turn it on.  I'm gray about this because Dad shouldn't do this for himself.  If he does, it'll take him three or four days and there will be a lot of frustration and anger and not-quite-yelling and I'll end up having to do it anyhow.
This really makes me sad because I know in my heart that he's upset and frustrated and sad that he just can't do this himself.  It makes me sad because until recently he was the one who was up on the technology and what's what and would give me advice.  It makes me sad because I'm treading on his territory.  This his his computer, his office, his set up.
And I can't fix it.
There is nothing I can do to fix it.
I can come over and bring Boo and he'll have a good day with everyone, but as soon as we leave, everything will go back to being not-so-good.
I can't even do much for Mom at this point.  I'm too far away to come over in the evenings and share dinner with them.  I can be an ear or a shoulder as needed.  I can come do things like take care of the technology in the house.  I can offer Mom a "day off" on Mondays watching Boo.  But I can't be there every day to help with the little things.  To be with her with the day-to-day problems and be a companion to watch and be there.

This isn't how it's supposed to be.  My dad's brain should not be turning to mush as we watch.  We should not all feel so helpless.  Personally, I'm angry and sad and helpless all at the same time.

Anyhow, there is much more roiling around in my head and heart about that whole situation.  But, I have to get back to work and do some real work for a change.  There are customer needs that need to be met and projects to be completed.

Peace to all and may your hearts be light and your days full of sunshine, both real and emotional.

Purchases

This weekend I made two, hopefully, life changing purchases.  I'm not sure which one I'm more excited about really.  I think it may be the more expensive one, or at least the more expensive one up front.  In the long run, it'll be the bargain.  I'd been going back and forth between which thing I wanted to get.  They're very different and serve very different purposes.  One was very high tech and the other pretty low tech.  Both can help me with goals I have and both are fun.  I thought I was only going to be able to get one or the other, but as luck would have it, and thanks to a sale at Target and a generous offer from Gak, who knew I wanted both and couldn't decide, I was able to get both.
Do you see that lovely picture up at the top of this post.  This is a picture from the web of my new bicycle (actually, mine's purple, not blue).  Yes, I actually bought myself a new bike.  Gak helped pay for a bit of it and a new helmet since I got rid of my old one ages and ages ago.  I'd been bitten by the bike bug when we moved into this new apartment.  It got worse, much worse, this spring.  You see, I've become quite active again and well, I always loved spending time on my bike rolling around the neighborhood and getting around.  Town is nice and flat (for those of us who aren't used to biking hills right now...) and we live close enough to the grocery store (and many others) as well as the park and some other fun things, that running errands or going for a ride with my son would be awesome, not to mention gas saving.  (Sorry about the run-on there...)
I have yet to get Boo a seat for the back of the bike and a helmet for him to wear.  I wanted to get back into the swing of things before getting that.  Also, I was hoping Kat still had her old one because this will be the last year that Boo will be able to ride it because by next year he'll be too tall even if he's not too heavy.  But, her old seat is being borrowed by another friend, so I'll invest in one of my own to keep in the family or sell/give to someone else next year.
I got to ride for a good bit Sunday after we picked her up, but it's been raining most of the last few days, so I haven't been able to.

As for my second purchase, it was a new phone.  I was eligible for a new upgrade.  I'd been toying with and tossing out the idea of going to a smart phone.  I figured if I did, it would be to an Android based OS.  Partially because I knew I'd never afford an iPhone (I know, the 3G or 3Gs is $50 now... but, I'd want to go 4 because with electronics always get the newest/fastest you can for your buck).  Partially because as much as Gak enjoyed his iPhone, it had a few quirks I didn't enjoy and you seem to get so much more with a 'Droid.  Well, Gak said he'd buy me a new phone.  It turns out he didn't have to.  We'd gone to the AT&T store to play with some of the phones a few weeks ago, and again over the weekend, and I'd found a couple that I really liked.  It turns out that one of the top rated ones was on sale at Target.
Yes, Target again.
For free.
Yes, that's right.  Free.
I go the Samsung Captivate.  It's got a huge screen.  It's got some really cool features and is very easy to navigate.  And did I mention the Droid app store is huge?  I've downloaded a handful of free apps, including two from Weight Watchers.  (Yes, I'm still following the plan, but even if I wasn't actively trying to loose weight, I'd still be following the plan to some degree, as it helps keep the amount of food I eat "real" and helps me not put all that hard work back on.)  I think I'm going to enjoy being a smart phone owner, even though I fought the idea tooth and nail for years.  Actually, I was still fighting it a week or so ago when Gak ordered his new phone (an LG Windows phone) because we were both up for upgrades.  (I was going to just hang on to mine for a good long time since it wasn't broken and did what I wanted it to, but then I realized I was paying for a new phone in my monthly bill anyhow.  Yes, most cell companies pad your bill with the cost of a new phone as part of your monthly access charges, even if they don't say so... that's why a $500 phone can be "free".)

So, in the long run my $180 bike will cost less than my free phone, but that's only because I now have a $15 a month data plan.  (Which is more that I'll probably need since I'm on wi-fi at home and try very hard not to use it at work...)  I'm very happy with both my phone and my bike.  I've been able to use the phone more, if only because I can use it when it's raining.  (Yes, I can bike when it's raining, but I prefer not to...)

Anyhow, I'm very pleased with my purchases, but I've now got 10 minutes or less to get together my breakfast, my lunch and get dressed and out the door.

Peace to all and may you get the tools you need and may they be ones you love.

Our Boy

I have been a delinquent blogger again.  I have so many things I want to talk about, but I've just been too tired and too busy to write anything down coherently.  I also have a month's worth of pictures on my camera that I need to download, edit and upload to Flickr.  *sigh*

Tonight's entry will probably be a short one, but it's one of the many topics that have been chasing around my brain for a while and I just want to get out.  If I get up in time I may post one tomorrow about the weekend and all the wonderful adventures that were had.

Anyhow, a week or so back Gak and I were talking about Boo after he'd gone to bed.  Boo and I had done another orienteering hike that Sunday.  The course was good and I did fairly well for carrying an additional 30 lbs.  The mud was a bit rough though.  At one point I had made Boo walk for a bit while I fixed the backpack, as something had gone a little off and my left arm was going numb.  Oops.  Anyhow, we were on a well marked, flat path.  Unfortunately, it was a very muddy path.  Boo hates mud.  He loves to splash in puddles, but he hates mud.  Doubly unfortunately, the mud decided to "eat" his shoes.  You should have heard the shriek of pure terror he let out!  Thankfully I could rescue him and his shoes and there was a downed tree that we could use to get him back into the pack and out of the mud.

Anyhow, this story got Gak and I talking.  Boo really is a very good mix of the two of us.  Half the people you ask, say he looks like his Poppa, and the other half usually say he looks like me.  (Although, I think he looks a bit more like Gak personally... but *shrug* I may be biased...)  But it's not just in looks.  It's in personality.  He takes to electronics and anything that has buttons with the same single-minded determination that Gak has.  Sure, I love me electronic toys of all kinds, but my dear, sweet hubby can't live without them.  Me, I'm the outdoors one.  I'm the one who always wants to go on adventures and go hiking and exploring.  Boo will go just about anywhere if you tell him you're going on an adventure.  We now have to classify them with "big adventure", "little adventure" or sometimes "just an every day adventure".  He thinks all this is really great.
I don't mind getting dirty and muddy, but Gak would much prefer not to.  Boo, will splash in water puddles but avoids mud and anything sticky, icky or "gross" like the plague.  He never, ever put his fingers into his baby food, and only recently has started doing things like that and usually only when he's done or looking for the M&M's in his sundae.
Boo will gladly go camping with me just about any time, even though Gak doesn't find it the most enjoyable activity.  But, Boo also won't go to sleep on the floor, he has to have a mat or mattress of some kind, an actual "bed" if you will.
He's a nest builder with all his blankets, pillows and friends, but he doesn't like being under the blankets usually like his Poppa.

Over all we have a very sweet, very polite (about 95% of the time), very smart and precocious little boy who turns three in just over two weeks.  Yes, that's right, two weeks.
We've been so lucky with him.  He's been such a pleasure most days to have around.  Even on the bad days, it's not as bad as it could be, and we're usually well aware of this.  He'll usually mind.  He's not destructive just to be mean.  (He destroys things out of boredom and curiosity... a lot like his mother...)  He likes to play hard and sleep hard and not eat a wide variety of foods, just like his parents.

Anyhow, I just wanted to share our revelation that yes, our boy is a wonderful mix of the two of us, and we're all the better for it.

Peace to all and may your heart be happy and time not go too fast.

Orienteering Monster

I've created a monster.  Not just any monster, but an orienteering monster.
You see, Sunday there was an O meet being run by two friends who used to work with me (Rick and Uday) and it was all of 20 minutes from the house.  So, of course I was going to go.  I'd said something about going hiking Sunday Saturday afternoon after Boo and I picked up Gak and we were talking about the rest of the weekend.  Boo pipes up that he wants to go hiking too.
So, I said sure!  I finally got around to getting the frame kid carrier backpack from Kat, so I knew he'd be able to ride in style and comfort.  I half expected him to say no the next morning, but he asked me about it before I could ask him.
We left the house around 9:00 (I actually had to go pick up said backpack from Kat's porch.) and after a bit of going in circles because I thought I'd made a wrong turn but I hadn't so had to back track back to the road I was on... we get to the park a little before 10.  Actually, it was a Boy Scout camp ground. 
Uday and Mary were working the start, so I caught up with them a bit and got Boo situated in the pack.  He's a funny boy.  He loves splashing in puddles, but not mud puddles.  There were lots of mud puddles in the parking lot with the rain late last week.  He also doesn't want to ride in the pack until you actually put him in it and get it on and start out.  Then he doesn't want to get out.
Now, a few things to remember.  Boo now weighs about 30 lb, so about 32 lb with the weight of the pack as well.  I haven't done much orienteering in 3 years and it's been just about a year since I last went.  I'd already been having a bit of one of "those" mornings with things not quite going right.  And I'm stubborn, did I mention that before?

Anyhow, looking at the stats and knowing my normal skill level is about at Orange, I decide to go with the Yellow course.  The white just sounded too short and there was no way I was going to do an orange with Boo on my back!
The first challenge is heading up the hill to where the start is.  Rick is working start so I catch up with him for a few moments as I catch my breath.  The path to the first control is marked with streamers because... well... the path doesn't really exist as well as it does on the map.
This should have been my first (okay, maybe 2nd or third by now) clue that it wasn't going to be an easy walk in the park.  I do just fine getting to the first control.  I catch up with a mom and her teenage son doing white (their second control) and "help" them out.  Yeah, I helped both of us in the wrong direction.  So, after about 20 minutes of walking around in circles around a building that wasn't the one I thought it was, I finally head in the right direction.
Everything continues fairly well after that.  I spend a lot of my time walking and talking with Boo.  I show him the map and the trails (some are not as nice as they are on the map... and there's a lot more marshy ground than is marked on the map... since there isn't really any on the map...).  We talk about what we're seeing and where we're going and what we're hearing.  I catch sight of a deer, but he misses it by the time he turns his head.  He only asked a few times "are we there yet" and that was at the beginning when I was getting frustrated and walking in circles.
This course had 10 controls.  Other than my debacle getting turned around leaving the first one, things go well until number 6.  I pass right past it about 4 times before a scout master who was cleaning up the fire pit it was near (they'd used it the night before) pointed it out to me.  (It was slightly down a hill and on the far side of the boulder so not easily seen...)  I made it to number 7 spot on.  Unfortunately, I should have actually taken the long way.  I never did find the trail that would lead me right to number 8.
Oh, did I mention that 7 to 8 is the longest leg of the course and that it's right on the edge of the map?  Not the edge of the camp property, just the edge of the map.  So, on one side I had a lot of vague things that I couldn't really place on the map and on the other side I had landmarks, but no map.  To make a long story short, I missed number 8, thought I was near number 9 but couldn't find it and came across a father/son team looking for number 9.  They pointed me to number 8.  I never did find 8, but I did find 9.  So, after a little more wandering and making Boo climb around a bit too because by now my back was killing me, I misspunched and headed for 10.  I never found 10, but I did find the finish.  Good enough!

I've been reminded of a few things with this little adventure.  I don't do well on long legs between controls.  Even if it's along a path.  I don't do well in camp ground areas where there are lots of little trails not on the maps because they're not official trails, just worn places where people have gone between buildings for years.  I was also reminded how much fun it can be to do this with someone.

After 2 hours and 20 minutes (from start to finish, probably more like 2.5 hours all told) Boo and I get back to check in.  I get some help getting Boo off my back, as I'm sure he didn't really want to be half dropped again like I'd done earlier.  I chat with Uday and Jerry (another friend from work) for a bit and we head home.  Boo and I did just about 5 miles of trail walking, boulder scrambling and just enjoying the outdoors.

And how do I know I created a monster?  Because this morning as we were cuddling on the sofa he asked if I was going to "do a yellow" today.  It took me a minute to figure out what he was referring to.  Once I understood what he meant and asked if he wanted to go hiking again, I got a very enthusiastic yes!.
So, it looks like if my boy-o has his way, I'll be walking 3-5 miles every Sunday.  I'm not really complaining, but Gak and my shoulders might.... I've got to readjust that pack so more of his weight ends up on my hips instead of my shoulders and with Gak's knee, there's no way he can join us often unless we go for a hike on level, paved ground.
Yes, Boo is my son.  I have created a monster, and I'm actually kinda happy about that.

Alas, I have to get back to work.  I'll have to write more again later as there is a lot buzzing around in my head.

Peace to all and may all your monsters be good, healthy ones.

Education

I have all kinds of thoughts swirling around in my brain.  I've seen and read several different articles in the past week or so about education, the state of education and other such things.  So, of course this has me thinking about Boo.  About what we want for him and how we can give him the education he deserves.
I've always thought public school was OK.  Not stellar mind you, but good enough.  I think a lot of this has to do with my own experiences.

When we lived in Kansas, I went to two different alternative (I guess you'd call them magnet schools now) schools in the district.  I don't know if Mom and Dad had to pay any more to send me and my brother there instead of the "regular" public school closest to us.  That doesn't matter.  What matters is that our parents didn't send us to the public school right around the corner, but halfway across the city to something they thought would be better for us.  And it was.  I'm not sure when I would have learned this, but I know eventually I would.
Our first school, Earhart Environmental Complex (I guess I've been doomed to be a liberal tree-hugging hippie from the start?) only went up through grade 6 and then we would have had to go to a normal junior high.  The second school I attended was Isley, and was only 4th through 6th grades.  In both cases, there was a strong push for independent study, even in kindergarten, and an inquiry based approach to learning.  Questions were both asked of and expected to be asked by the students.  We were encouraged to find out things on our own.  Every few months there was some independent or small group project that had to be done on a particular topic.  (I remember two vividly, one was space and Josi and I panted this awesome (and huge) mural with all the planets on it; the other one was Kansas and I made this tote bag with the word "Kansas" on it and a sunflower.)  But, we didn't stay in Kansas until I was in 7th grad and had to move to a different school.  Instead, we moved to Pennsylvania in the middle of my fourth grade year.  Then I was thrust into the above average, but still a traditional public school.  To say it was disorienting would be an understatement!

At both EEC and Isley we weren't issued grades as such.  Sure, we took tests, did projects and had homework (some, but not loads like so many kids get these days) that were collected and corrected.  At EEC we got a week off of school at the end of every quarter and it was spent in parent-teacher-student conferences.  We were given a piece of paper (NCR actually... 3 layers) blocked out into different subject areas and we had to draw a face that represented how we felt about each subject and how we thought we were doing and the like.  Then the teacher would add comments and finally we'd have a conference with our parents, the teacher and ourselves.  I think there was also a time when we would leave the room so the parents and teacher could talk together, but I don't really remember.  In reality, this is much more like most of the "annual reviews" I've ever had in my working life than any report card is, but I digress...  At Isley, I don't remember what the quarterly reports were like, but each week we had a "contract" that we had to draw up and sign between us and the teacher.  We were given minimum requirements, but we could always (and I often did in some areas) add more work that we would strive to get done that week.  Again, this seems more like the way the "real world" of work seems to work.  But... when I got to Valley Forge Elementary, suddenly I had grades.  Sure, I knew what they were, I'd read enough books to know the concept.  But, I just couldn't understand them, or the importance that was placed on them.  (I still don't really....)
Another big difference came to light the first few months that I was at Valley Forge.  I was much more self motivated and could work on things with little guidance from teachers than my counterparts.  This became very apparent in science class.  At the time, the were using a really cool program.  Basically, there were a bunch of different levels, each with a bunch of readings and experiments and tests.  When you tested into a level, you were given a sheet (kinda like a flow chart) of all the parts of the level and you had to do a certain amount before you could move on.  It was just like what I was used to at Isley and EEC.  Well, needless to say, I took to this like a fish to water.  I quickly caught up and then surpassed my classmates.  While most of them had to ask the teacher just about every class what they should be doing, I just looked at my sheet, decided on a task that interested me and dove right in.  I didn't need anyone holding my hand, I'd been taught how to be, and expected to be, independent in my learning.

Is this right for everyone?  Maybe, maybe not.  I know there are a lot of kids out there that need more hand-holding and assistance than others.  But, I can't fathom how teaching a kid how to learn, not just what to learn is a bad thing.  I actually think that a lot of special needs kids would actually benefit from programs like that.  Learning how to ask questions, how to methodically work through a problem no matter if it's English, science, math, history or anything else.  Those problem solving skills and knowing how to ask questions gets you so much further in life than just knowing that Oxygen is the 16th element on the periodic table and that in 1492 is when Columbus "discovered" America.

So, this brings me back to Boo.  I know he's quite bright.  I'm not just saying that because he's my son.  I'm saying that because I've seen the wheels turning in his head and watched him figure things out and grow.  He's got a bigger vocabulary than most 3-year-olds.  He uses much bigger and more complete sentences and can hold real conversations better than some teenagers I know.  He's constantly trying to figure out how things work, taking things apart and trying to put things together.  He's extremely curious.  I want to nurture that, keep it alive and growing in him.
Because for me, my drive to learn and be independent died somewhere around the beginning of high school.  I had learned how to work the system.  I'd learned how to be challenged enough not to be bored stiff, but not so pushed that I had to work all that hard.  My grades could have been much better than they were and I developed a lot of bad habits that I fight even to this day and hold me back and get me in trouble at work.  I do not want this for my son.  I want my son to enjoy learning, to push himself and challenge himself for his whole life, to be the best that he can be, not just "good enough" to get by.

I know I've got 2 years to worry about this and ponder it.  Or maybe one if we decide to do a pre-K kind of program.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it... a lot.  I look around at our public schools and remember my experiences in public school and while we may live in a pretty good district, I'm just not sure it's going to be a good fit for Boo.  If he's anything like me or Gak, he's going to be too smart for his own good and push himself just enough to be "good enough".  Also, from some of the reading I've done recently and (I hate to say this...) watching my friends' kids go through their school careers... I worry about what the kids are actually learning.  Some of the things that my friends' kids do and don't know amaze me.  The writing quality of most of them sadden me.  Even the papers that are getting good marks and are almost high school level are full of errors that even I can find, and my spelling stink and don't get me started on the grammar.  And yet they don't get marked off for these things.  Sure, the intent of the writing is awesome and wonderful, but the execution I've seen in a lot of the writings is lacking.  (I'm sorry guys if you're reading this... just calling it how I see it...)
In the fall we went and looked at United Friends School here in town.  I fell in love with it almost immediately.  It reminded me so much of EEC in so many ways.  I still have a bunch of questions (that I've only recently started thinking about such as grading and reporting periods....), but over all it seems like such a great school.  Even if I can only give it to him for a few years, I want to give my boy-o the best foundation I can.  How many times and in how many places do you hear that the foundation is what counts?  Just about everything and everywhere.  So, I have my heart set on this.  Maybe unrealistically so.  It would be such a financial boon just to send Boo to the elementary school down the street.  But I have to ask myself, would we be cheating him out of a really solid foundation?  Would we be doing him a disservice in the long run?  (Not to mention that in Kindergarten at least, we'd still have to have half day daycare more than likely as our district only does half day Kindergarten... I never have understood that having gone full days myself...)

So, this is some of the goop that's been sloshing back and forth in my brain.  Like I said, Gak and I have time to think about this, talk about it and see where Boo seems to fit the best.  But, this is one of those things that I'm just not willing to "wing" at the last minute.  This is too important, because this is someone else's future I'm messing with, not just my own.
Again, I have more questions than answers.

I'm off to catch some sleep before one last work day this week.
So, I bid you peace and high expectations for education.

What Size Was That??

I'm not sure if I've mentioned recently about my challenges with clothing.  For example, the other week at work the office admin (via messenger) asked what size button down shirt I wear, since they're thinking about ordering us some nice shirts.  This simple question put me into a panic and it took me almost 10 minutes to stammer out some kind of answer that made any sense.  This was not because I’m ashamed of my size. I’ve never been ashamed of my size. But because I just don’t know what the answer is.


Well, apparently I’m not the only one. Apparently this is a frustration point for many, many women, even those who are already small to begin with. I’ve talked about my frustrations of trying on 3 pairs of pants in the same size by the same company and only 1 slightly fitting right.


Yesterday morning, for example, I found a pair of khakis in my closet I’d put in the “give away” pile because I thought they’d be too big by spring, but low and behold, they’re smaller than my jeans that are too big, but only a hair bigger than my work pants that are too big and a good bit bigger than my jeans that actually fit fairly well for most of a day. Anyhow, the jeans that are too big and the work pants I’ve been wearing are both the same brand (Lee) and the same size (16, not 16W, just 16). The jeans are a good inch or two bigger in the waist than the work pants. Huh?  The jeans that fit fairly well are also Lee and a 14.  There's a pretty big difference between the two jean sizes (even though they're the same style even) but not such a big difference between the work pants and the 14 jeans. Oh, and the khaki’s I wore yesterday, they fit well enough (and in some ways better than my pants I'd been wearing), and they’re an 18. Of course, from past experiences, I totally expect to need a full size bigger in that brand (Cabella's) than my “normal” clothes. (I'm sure all this numbers and comparing just made your head spin, if not explode... mine was doing that yesterday morning at 6am while I was standing in my closet trying to get dressed for the day...)



So, with my experiments at home yesterday, it looks like I need to go down to a 14 or maybe even a 12 in my work pants and get another pair or two of 14s in jeans. I never in a million years thought I'd be in those sizes. Then again, with the "vanity sizing" that's been running rampant through the industry, it probably should be about an 18 from a decade or so ago...  Even though my weight has been mostly the same the last several months I'm hesitant to buy new clothes.  I do want to loose a little more, but it's not even that.  I really do need to buy new clothes.  The ones I have don't fit right and clothes that don't fit right no matter if they're too big or too small just make you uncomfortable and self conscious.  (That and I'm sure my coworkers, even though they'll say other wise, are almost as tired of the same 5 or 6 shirts I've been rotating through as I am.) 
Oh, and don't get me started on shirts.  I have 3 (woman, not unisex) workout T-shirts that are a size large that fit beautifully that I got from Target.  A few weeks back I tried to get a button down shirt from there that was an XL because the arms looked slim, and well, if I had no bust I could have buttoned it (and the arms were still a bit snug...).   And if my shirt fits nicely and slimly (is that even a word?) through the tummy and my pants are baggy and falling down, do you tuck in your shirt (and have it pull out every time you raise your arms) or do you leave it out and have it fall into your waistband anyhow?  Either way you look sloppy.

So, it looks like I really do need to break out the sewing machine and find some new and fun patterns and convince mom to help me whip up a few additions to the wardrobe.  (Maybe even a skirt, that'd be nice to wear in the summer to work and still be cool enough to play on the playground with Boo after.... hmmm.... one advantage to dresses/skirts...)



Anyhow, all of this personal angst was just to point you to a very interesting piece from the New York Times yesterday. I totally agree that if there was some kind of standard in clothing labels, then clothes shopping wouldn’t be such a long, arduous and mentally and emotionally painful task. The only size "system" that makes even less sense and seems almost as random as woman's sizing is that for infants and even toddlers.  The tags are so "helpful" with height and weight suggestions and trust me, no two brands, or even pieces are cut the same...

(Oh, and I looked at the Levi jeans… first off, I don’t have $70 to spend on a single pair of jeans and they may have different curves, but please, not all of us can wear skinny jeans, nor do we want to… I mean, I have curvy hips and a butt and my thighs go right along with them and will never, ever fit in "skinny jeans", they have ever since puberty and always will. I like my curves, they just need to be smaller over all, not go away completely!)