Smith River (Day 7)

What a wonderfully pleasant day among the Redwoods. This morning, Eleanor slept in again and then literally woke up, saying, "Anyway..." What a goof. Once the kids had eaten and gotten dressed, Will took them to a big park near the ocean we'd seen our first night here. He knew the kids would like to play there and also wanted to use the equipment to get a little workout in. I stayed here, showered, cleaned up, repacked a bit, did a short workout myself, and waited for them to get back.

They weren't back until almost lunch time, having made a stop at Walmart for a few things. We ate and then left for the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Mr. Mike had told us of a nice little beach area from which to enjoy the Smith River. We got there fairly quickly, parked, and took a short hike to a fairly private beach area. There was a section to get in the river that was all rocks but another that was sand with a gradual drop off. The part of the river we were at was not very deep, even in the middle I don't think, but I didn't go far enough out to find out. 

The weather today was picture perfect: mostly sunny and a bit warmer, probably in the mid 70's. I was able to take off my long sleeve and sun myself in a tank top. It was glorious! The kids had fun throwing rocks, trying to learn to skip them, and using them as baseballs. Ethan, for a while, wouldn't go over to the sandy area because two older girls were playing there. He was being a bit shy. But I convinced him finally, and he had fun running into the water and swimming a bit. 

Will and I had somehow forgotten our suits. Sadly, this was the first time I really wanted to swim, too. The water felt so much warmer than the ocean, and with it being warmer out, it seemed so refreshing. The water was oh so clear, too, and it looked like such fun. Eventually, Will couldn't take it and decided to just swim in the nude. There were only a few people on the beach, and it is California, after all. He only wanted to fit in.

Just kidding - ha!  (Betsy, you can pick your mouth  back up off the floor.) He did swim in his boxers, though. Unfortunately, my underclothes are not as inconspicuous as men's boxers, so I remained beach side.

By 4:30 or so, we hiked back to our car and came back to the cabin. Pizza was on the menu tonight, a take and bake, along with a salad. After dinner, I made a fire in the pit with some kindling and wood Mike gave us and we roasted marshmallows and had s'mores. Perfect ending to a pretty perfect day. 

We head back north tomorrow, driving along he coast of Oregon. We will stop about halfway up the coast tomorrow, in Florence, to stay one night. Then, we will go up a few more hours to Seaside. We will be in Seaside, near Cannon Beach, for two nights before we head up into Washington State for the last week of our trip.

R & R (Day 6)

Day 6

After yesterday's adventures, we decided to have a low key day. I posted a few pictures to Facebook and wrote, "Taking a vacation from our vacation." This is kinda true. We go go go on these trips, and while I really do love the experiences we have, it can be exhausting. Since we knew we have another full day tomorrow to explore some more redwoods, we went to a beach literally around the corner from our cabin. 

We went to a place called Tolowa Dunes State Park. It is maybe two miles, just west of where we are staying. It was fabulous! Very pretty with mountains to the north, coast going on and on to the south, and dunes facing the water. The beach was a mix of very soft sand and a strip of these great, smooth rocks. They were mostly hues of blue and grey, and some even had zig zag stripes. Fun to look for neat ones to take home. 

Today was a really nice day here, getting up to about 70 and mostly sunny. I talked to Mike, our cabin's owner, who said this is pretty typical weather. He said they may get into the 80s at some point in the summer, but high 60s, low 70s is pretty typical. He said in the winter it will get down to freezing at night but the days are usually in the 50s. 

At the beach, it felt a bit cooler with the breeze and water. I had no desire to go in the water, or really take off my jean jacket, but the kids got in their suits right away. It didn't take long for them to dive into the water and splash around. Funny how kids don't seem to get cold. I sat against a piece of driftwood and finished the memoir I've been reading, Jesus Land. (I recommend it...great find at the used book store.) The kids played and played, building sandcastles with our empty yogurt and salsa containers (who needs buckets?!), and Will observed from the surf. 

At one point, Will spoke to a fisherman on the beach. He and his wife have an RV and spend a couple months traveling every summer. He is from California but 5 hours south. He had caught a perch and Will and the kids went to see. Apparently, they got more than they bargained for and had a little sex ed lesson as well. The perch was pregnant, and the man squeezed the minnows right out of the mama fish, in front of our kids. As Eleanor proclaimed to me later, "Yeah, Mom, he squeezed the fish and babies came right out of its butt!!!"  Awesome. 

Other than a few fisherman and some small families, the beach was pretty deserted. Around 1:30, we finally dragged the kids out of there, but only after we promised to return after lunch (fine by me!). We all refueled and were back by 3 or so. This time, Ethan went even further into the waves and witnessed the power of the Pacific. He got knocked down at one point and drank a bit of the ocean. 

Eleanor had her own first as well: she pooped in the dunes. She had complained of needing to go when we first got to the beach after lunch. I drove her back to the cabin only to have her pee and tell me she doesn't have to poop after all. This is VERY typical. (Our first full day of this trip, I took her no less than 7 times to the bathroom- 3 times in REI alone - only to have it be a false alarm.) Shortly after I brought her back to the beach, she complained of needing to go again. Will has been keeping a roll of toilet paper in the car because sometimes the bathrooms in the national parks don't have any. So, he took her up to the dune and she did her business, if you will.  She was quite satisfied with herself, and Will is quite sure he doesn't want a dog any time soon.

Another fun thing about this beach is that I randomly had cell  phone service. I don't have it in town at all, but I had it next to the ocean. Weird. I was able to receive texts I've been missing, send some texts, and even make phone calls. Will spoke to his parents and I called mine, as well. 

We left the beach around 5:30 and the kids went right to the shower. Eleanor's bathing suit has sand inside the fibers. Not sure it will ever be sand free. We grilled chicken, potatoes, and asparagus and had dinner watching The Tour de France. Kids went to sleep a few minutes ago. 

Tomorrow, we plan to visit some more redwoods, this time closer to us by the Smith River. Mike showed us on a map where to find a nice little beach by the river for the kids to swim in. We will also do a bit of hiking, too. And, this time, we will have water and a compass with us, no matter how short the hike is supposed to be!  

Lost in the Redwoods (Day 5)

Alternative titles for this post might be "How to Assure your Physical Therapist can Buy a Second Home Soon" and "Two Roads Diverged in a Redwood."  More on that later...

So, today started off well enough. Ethan keeps getting Eleanor up way earlier than she's used to, but she's doing alright without her usual beauty sleep. I made a good, protein heavy breakfast of eggs, bacon, and peanut butter toast. I knew we would need the energy later, but I had no idea how much. We hit the road around 10:30 or so with a picnic lunch. Highway 101 took us south along the coast and deeper into the redwoods. There were some pretty dramatic views of the rocky coast along the way. We had to drive about an hour, and it was pretty curvy. All I can say is, thank goodness for Dramamine! Ethan, as long as he has his Dramamine, does just fine, as does Eleanor. I had a headache by the time we stopped but felt ok once we were out hiking.

Our first destination was the Lady Bird Johnson Grove trail. A friend of ours had recommended the hike, and it was a good one. It is the section of the forest that Lady Bird Johnson had dedicated in 1969, assuring it would not be destroyed. The redwoods are MASSIVE. Just incredible. We have tons of pictures of the kids up against the trees, being dwarfed by the absolute giants. And the trees are often hollowed out but still growing, making for very fun "caves" for the kids to explore. They loved it!

After that hike, we went back towards a visitor's center to eat our picnic lunch. Along the way, we stopped on the road to take pictures and admire a herd of elk, just chilling off the side of the road.  We had our picnic in front of a big meadow (also known for elk sightings though we didn't see any) and then did a short trail called the Revelation Trail. Again, enormous trees - crazy big! 

Next, Will wanted to do what he called a "short" trail recommended by someone in the visitor's center. Eleanor had been complaining in the last hike, and I knew she had very little steam left, but she had a second wind because she had collected at least 7 walking sticks and was enjoying carrying them all around with her. A short ways into the walk, I found out the particular trail Will wanted to do was 2.4 miles long. It was already after 3, and we had an hour drive to get home. My foot was bothering me, and I expressed concern for a fairly long hike with the kids. Will thought we were more than halfway; I was quite sure we absolutely were not, but I didn't fight hard enough to turn around. At a certain point down the trail, we came to a fork in the road. It was not at all obvious which way to go. But we picked a way (we went left...big surprise), and we were wrong. Oh so wrong.

At this point, I was good and cranky and getting a bit nervous. We had no food or water with us (or toilet paper!), as we had just eaten and it was a mild day. But the more we walked, the more it became obvious to me that we were not going the right way. I honestly thought we would have to hike up to the highway and wait for Will to find our car and then come get us. Either that or we were going to hitchhike. 

Finally, we ran into a couple who had more sense than us. They were able to point out on a map where we were, which was way north of where we were supposed to be. According to a recent sign they had passed, we were about 2.5 miles away from where we started. So...after getting at least halfway on our hike and then extending it another mile or so, we had to do another 2.5. Not cool. Will started giving Eleanor piggy back rides every so often, and I gave Ethan a couple as well. He was a pretty big champ, though. Both kids walked at least 5 miles today. Eleanor rode a bit on Will, but she walked most of it. Ethan didn't even complain, though he was disappointed when he realized how far we were from our car. We did see some cool things like snails and banana slugs, though, so I guess that was fun. When we were back in the car at last, I tried to look on the bright side, saying, "Well, there are a lot uglier places to get lost." Ethan, without skipping a beat, deadpanned, "Yes. I can't think of any right now, but I'm sure there must be." Pretty hilarious. 

An hour later, we were back at the cabin, making burgers for the grill. The kids watched a bit of Shrek and then fell asleep within seconds of the lights being turned out. I guess we found one more advantage of being lost in the Redwoods: it tires your kids out!

Will has assured me we will not drive far or hike anything significant tomorrow. We will likely stay local and explore a river nearby or possibly the Pacific. 

Ride to the Redwoods (Day 4)

Today we woke to overcast skies, so we decided to be on our way to the Redwoods, rather than do any short hikes near Crater Lake. It looked like it might rain, and we didn't want to get caught in it.

The drive to our next destination, Crescent City, California, was about 3 hours. We drove first through Grant's Pass, Oregon, where we stopped at a sporting goods store for Will. He brought his older hiking boots, and the sole came off after our first day of hiking. Oops. So he needed to buy some new boots or shoes. He opted for some reasonably priced hiking shoes. We grabbed Subway for lunch and hit the road again.

The second part of the drive was a bit too curvy for all of us. I gave Ethan some Dramamine, and even took some myself. Ethan felt fine. Eleanor refused the Dramamine and then whined the whole last half hour that her stomach hurt. The surroundings are beautiful, no doubt, but these Chicagoans are not used to so many twists, turns, ups, and downs. (Lisa, you would have been unhappy.) It was obvious when we hit Redwood National Park because the tree trunk size increased dramatically. The kids were trying to find the biggest ones. These giants will be fun to explore the next few days.

We found our cabin easily, a small place on the property of a Mr. Mike O'Connell. He was working in his beautiful garden when we came up. So friendly, he was very accommodating and had the kids happily picking blueberries in no time. Eleanor's stomach ache was miraculously cured.

The cabin consists of a small bedroom, a living room with futon, an eat in kitchen, and a bathroom. Mike was nice enough to provide us with an air mattress and sleeping bags for options for the kids. Eleanor wants to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor, and Ethan chose the futon. Will's and my bed looks like barely a full bed, and I'm pretty sure our feet will hang off the end. :)

We got ourselves settled in the cabin and then got back in the car for a ride into Crescent City. The town itself is pretty tired, but fine. We found access to a beach and introduced the kids to the Pacific Ocean. It was actually a bay, so we were missing the waves. It was low tide, and the kids could have stayed there forever, drawing with feathers and building a dam to protect their drawings. There was a very large pier nearby, so Ethan and I went to explore. Many people were fishing or crabbing. Our host Mike told us people will sell fish right from the pier. Talk about fresh.

Eventually, we dragged the kids away from the beach (Eleanor was pretty wet/sandy), and we hit the Safeway. Back at home, I made a salad and spaghetti while the kids bathed. We let the kids watch Chopped in the living room during dinner because a) we didn't have the energy to say no, and b) our small kitchen table was still filled with groceries. It will soon be bedtime here.

Not sure what, exactly, we will do tomorrow, but I know it will involve lots of trees, likely a river, and maybe some ocean time, too. Mike has plenty of ideas for us that all sound great.

Crater Lake (Days 2 and 3)

***Before I begin, I need to apologize for errors. The ipad gets weird with this blog, and when I type, it flips up and down so it is difficult for me to see what I am typing. I do my best to go over it, but I am also unable to scroll down sometimes, so that is hard. Being an English teacher is stressful when it comes to this stuff...so much pressure.***

I didn't get a chance to write yesterday. We are in close quarters in a cabin in Crater Lake, and when lights were out of the kids, I went to sleep, too. Yesterday was a driving day, for the most part. We were all up pretty early with the time change, and, after spending the night pretty restless, I decided to hit the tiny workout room for a bit. Then we all had breakfast. Afterwards, we walked into the beautiful neighborhood behind our hotel. It looks like a fairly new development, and the houses were SO pretty. My plan is to send Ethan or Eleanor to U of O, and we will buy a house there so they have residency. Will burst my bubble when he reminded me I would have to be working when the kids were in college. So I guess it will just be a summer home. We found a playground, and the kids let out some energy. I left to shower and pack up and when Will and the kids came back, we checked out. We went back into downtown Eugene first, in search of a Duck's Store. We found a few Oregon shirts and then went in search of an REI. We wanted a few things, including a powerful whistle, in the event we cross paths with a bear on one of our hikes. It is not a major concern, but we want to be prepared nonetheless. We also stopped at a Target for beach towels and a few other items we did not take with us. In the Target parking lot, we made a picnic of pbj's and then finally left for Crater Lake.

The drive was long, but very pretty. The kids, in the back, started to feel a little car sick near the end, but they made it ok. we listened to the first disk of three for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so that helped pass the time. When we finally got into the National Park, it was about a 20 minute drive to the rim. We stopped at the first lookout place we could. I hope my pictures will do this place justice. It is BEAUTIFUL. Such a unique lake, set down in the basin from what's left after a volcano exploded. Will was anxious to drive to the spot where you can hike down to the water, but it was after 5 o'clock and the kids were hungry and tired, so we continued another 20 minutes to our cabin. The
cabins are at Mazama Village, next to a campground often frequented by hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. The store has boxes of used items for hikers to look through and use, if needed. I read about this in the book Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, so it was neat to see it in person. We have seen many serious hikers here. The cabins, though you wouldn't know it from their steep nightly rate, are very basic and quite small. Each cabin has four units. Our unit is two queens, and a bathroom. There is a tiny table and two chairs as well. No television. It is clean, though, and works out just fine for two nights.

Once we got somewhat settled, we walked over to the Annie Creek Restaurant, which is one of only a couple options for where to eat here. The national park lodge, several miles up the road has a nice restaurant, but reservations are required for dinner. As it was, we had to wait thirty minutes for our dinner at the restaurant. And the food was pretty dismal. Eleanor got butter with some pasta, and I ordered the fettuccini alfredo. The pasta water had clearly not been salted, and the sauce was bland as well. Will ordered a cobb salad that had very little lettuce and was finished within a minute. Ethan had the best meal, a burger, but we decided we would likely not eat there a second time. By the time we were done with dinner, it was nearly 8:30, so we headed home to bed. We were still not quite acclimated to the time change, so we were all exhausted.

Ethan, as usual, awoke first, and Will took him out for a short hike around our cabin while Eleanor and I got a bit more sleep. When they returned, we got in the car for the drive to Cleetwood Cove, the one trail that leads you down to the water. We stopped quickly at a visitor's center to pick up a junior ranger packet for Ethan. Once he completes most of it, he can turn it in for a badge. We figure if he does one in all the NPs we visit this trip, he can collect four!

The Cleetwood Cove trail is not particularly difficult to go down, but it is steep, and the drop offs are anxiety producing for parents of small children. I had a hand on Eleanor for most of it. We went down, switchback after switchback, stopping to take many pictures of the brilliant blue water along the way. At the bottom, there is a dock with a boat launch for the tours that go to Wizard Island, a volcano that sticks out of the lake. The tour looks interesting, but is 3 hours long (insert Gilligan's Island joke here), so we opted out. Will and the kids were determined to swim in the lake, though I had no such desire, as it was only about 65 degrees at the time.

Will eventually got all the way in, and I have video of him swimming. Eleanor, the first to get in her suit, never went in all the way but liked playing on the rocks. There is no beach, just large, jagged rocks to climb on. Several people came down after us, and it got more and more crowded. At once point, this french couple jumped from a cliff into the water. It looked insane, and then more and more people were doing it. A ranger had told us earlier that is where people jumped off into the water. We laughed and said, no thanks. But, as more and more people jumped, the more I wondered, could I ever do it? I asked Ethan if he thought I should and his answer was a resounding YES! 

Today marks one year since my Grandma's passing. I had been feeling a bit guilty being gone on this day, knowing it would be a difficult one for my mom and her siblings. Grandma is on my mind daily, but more so lately, as I thought of this day coming up. As I sat in such a majestic spot, I thought, why not add a different memory to this day. So I decided to jump. I hadn't brought a bathing suit so I stripped down to my sports bra and spandex capris and walked up the jumping spot, about 20 feet about the water. 

I cannot easily describe this experience. I was scared. Like really scared. I stood on top of the rock for a solid minute, freaking myself out and wondering what on earth I had signed up for here, trying to be brave and show off for my kid. But then I thought, you will always regret not jumping...so I did. 

Now, a few others who had gone before me let out a little yelp on the way down. What came out of me, though, was an absolute blood curdling, I'm going to die scream. And for several seconds after I plunged into the icy cold water, I thought I might just do that. The fear combined with hitting the frigid water literally knocked the wind out of me. As I came up, desperately trying to get my sports bra down from around my neck, I couldn't breathe. I was above the water, but I couldn't take a breath. My kids were watching, and Will was video taping, so I have my back to them at first while I try to calm down and breathe. Eventually, I am able to do so, and the hilarity of what I just did comes to me. While it was scary, I really am so glad I did it and feel like I could do it again easily now that I know I can do it. I got to the rocks where Will and the kids were, wrapped a towel around me, and shivered for a good 30 minutes, recovering, but also feeling like a superstar!

Sometime around noon, we started our trek back up to the rim. This took a bit longer, but the kids were champs. The trail was so steep, but they trudged through. We drove to Rim Village, where the big lodge is and also a small cafe. We decided we would eat our lunch out and then just have pb and j for dinner instead of going back to our cabin for lunch. More mediocre, overpriced food, but it got the job done. After lunch, we checked out the views from Rim Village and also went into The Lodge. There is a nice area downstairs open to the public with a great big stone fireplace and lots of chairs and couches. There is also an outdoor area facing the lake with a ton of giant rocking chairs. Will took the kids to a junior ranger program down the way, but I decided to stay at the lodge for a bit. I ordered a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir, found myself a rocking chair, and had a little mommy moment. It was glorious. Then, I met Will and the kids at the end of their program (they built a volcano and watched it erupt), and we explored a bit more of the rim. 

Around 4, we got back in the car and drove to one more hike. This was a short, easy hike called Wildflower Garden. It was so pretty. Basically, you hiked one short loop up part of a mountain that was covered in wild flowers. All down the mountain were tiny waterfalls, cutting into the rocks. Will said it reminded him of a gigantic version of my dad's pond. Eleanor, who was hungry and cranky before the hike and didn't want to go, ended up loving this hike. We ended it just as some rain was starting, so we hit the road and came back to the cabin. Then it was showers, reading for Will and I while the kids watched a couple shows on the ipad, and an early bedtime. Ethan fell asleep at 7:45 while I read Harry Potter. Eleanor held on a bit longer, but right now at 8:37, three of four of us is sawing logs. I am going to wake up Will, though, or else he will be up at 3 am tonight.  

Tomorrow, we head to California and the Redwoods. Ethan is particularly excited about this leg of the trip, and I think we are all looking forward to a longer stay (four nights) in a larger place with space and a kitchen.  The only mediocre food we will eat now will be mine! :) 

Pacific Northwest Trip - Day 1 (Travel Day)

I type this not knowing what our wifi situation will be like tomorrow and thinking I better get at least one post in. It is only 7:20 here, but I feel like it's 3 in the morning. Both Will and I didn't sleep very much last night and were up at 4:15 for our 5 am cab to O'Hare. We woke the kids at about a quarter til. Our early riser, Ethan, likely loved this. Eleanor, since she was excited about our trip, woke up happy, but she did keep asking in the cab, "Why couldn't we wait until morning to leave?"

The drive to O'Hare was fine, though it was raining. I guess this is one advantage to having to be on the road so early. After some annoying run-around by American Airlines, we made it to our gate with a few minutes so spare. We did sit on the runway for about 40 minutes, but we were able to make up some time in the air. The flight itself was smooth and pleasant, and both kids did very well. They watched Kung Fu Panda cartoons, and I was able to watch the latest Avengers movie, which was the in-flight movie. Keeping my eyes open was a bit of a challenge. Our first flight was to Vegas, and because we were a bit late, we had to hustle to our connecting flight. After grabbing the world's most over-priced sandwiches, we trekked to the other side of the airport (seriously, like the farthest away from where we started...we had to take a train) to find our next flight on the final boarding call. Fortunately, we were not the only ones racing their from a connection. Eleanor and I sat together with Will and Ethan a couple rows behind. A shorter flight, it went by quickly and was also pretty painless.

We got our luggage quickly only to realize that Will had left our booster seat on our plane. We were able to retrieve it from customer service and then we took a shuttle to pick up our car. Thirty minutes of annoying sales tactics later, we drove off in our Chevy Impala. Our destination for the night was Eugene, Oregon. Eleanor was asleep in her carseat within minutes (she NEVER sleeps in the car, so she had to have been very tired!) and Ethan drifted off for ten minutes or so. The drive down I5 was pretty, with mountains in the distance, lots of wheat farms, and several wineries. When we got close, Will took a detour to check out the University of Oregon stadium. We were not able to go in, but we did get a picture outside of it.

We had dinner at the first place we saw, really, after driving around for too long in downtown Eugene. Both kids (and at least one parent) had hit their travel limit for the day, and the expensive (yet tiny) sandwiches from lunch had long worn off. The place was called McMenamins East 19th Cafe. Kind of hippy like and very good. I ordered a salad with walnuts and blue cheese with a very tasty vinaigrette. I was interested in some local wines but just felt like I would fall asleep on the table after one glass.  Our nice waiter did bring me a taste of a delicious pinot noir. After dinner, we made a quick stop at Hayward Field, the track of Prefontaine fame. Again, we were not allowed in. There was an international teacher event going on. But a very nice guard pretty much told Will that it is not always closely watched, so maybe we will try to run a lap in the morning.

By 6:30 Pacific time, we were at the hotel. It is a Comfort Suites and very nice. We just stayed in one in Indy, and while it was nice, this one exceeds all expectations. We have two queens and a couch bed, so the kids don't have to share a bed, and the room is very spacious. I know already that our next two nights in Crater Lake will be much more rustic...the kids are going to be disappointed after this place. :) The kids took a quick trip to the pool while I got the room ready for bed. Ethan conked out already, but Eleanor keeps asking me questions from her bed. Stinker.

I am going to enjoy some Goldfish crackers and a ginger ale Will pilfered from one of our flights. Will left to "explore," which I'm pretty sure means he won't be back any time soon and will return with a few groceries. Tomorrow we head to Crater Lake, and I am pretty excited to see it. I saw it from the plane - looks absolutely incredible.

On the Eve of Second Grade

Dear Ethan,

I’ve been thinking about this letter for a few weeks. Part of me curses myself for starting this dang tradition of a letter the night before you start school.  Not only is it a busy time, but the stress of expressing myself – or rather, expressing you, gives me a little anxiety.  Ultimately, the desire for you to have a written record of these years wins out.  Here goes…

Second grade!  What?! A year of full day school in the books – you seem like an expert already to me.  But, at the same time, I still see in you my little boy, the one who still cries when he’s hurt and wants to snuggle.  The one who still loves to play with his four year old sister, probably more than anybody else.  

I am exceedingly proud of the way you treat Eleanor.  You certainly have your moments, but you are mostly so patient with her and truly enjoy teaching her things.  The other day, you played “school” and had Eleanor trace over letters you made.  You came down to show me how well she did, and she was beaming from ear to ear at the stars you gave her.  She wants to do everything you do and picks up so many of your actions and sayings.  One that comes to mind is your “thumbs up or down” dinner rating system.  This one, of course, I could do without!  But, oh, how I wish I could freeze a bit of time while the two of you are best friends.  And, oh, how I dream of a strong, positive relationship for the two of you later in life.  Right now, few things make me happier than listening to the two of you play Legos or Star Wars (or Star Wars Legos…) together, having so much fun.  You have taught Eleanor to be just as creative in her play as you, and it made my life easier this past year.  Who needs play dates with other kids when the two of you play so well together?

Just like in Kindergarten we watched you come out of your shell a bit, first grade pushed you even further.  You are by no means a ham, but you seem to have your father’s performance gene, even if only for family at this point.  After our trip to Hilton Head, you became slightly obsessed with Greg Russell and his guitar stylings.  In our basement, we currently have a guitar on a stand as well as a homemade microphone stand.  You spent much of the summer singing your favorite Greg Russell tunes or performing other shows like The Spiderman Show, or plays like Rudolph.  We took you to see Rudolph this past winter, and you performed much of the show for us, verbatim.  Both dad and I were impressed with how you remembered such cute details from the show.  And now you have started piano and will hopefully have a chance to perform in a recital.  You seem to have a talent for music.  And, while the time spent cajoling you to practice is usually the worst part of my day, I love when you finally get into it and play the pieces.  Your teacher is impressed with you so far, and hopefully you (we) will stick to it!  

Another interest you have that I am trying to really hone is for cooking.  Both you and your sister love to help me in the kitchen and I try really hard to let you do just that.  You have even helped me chop vegetables with a real knife.  As we cook together, I talk a lot about what we are doing and why.  My ultimate goal is that you will leave this house knowing how to cook, and well.  You will know how to sauté, make a roux, season appropriately, cook meat properly, and so on. You will also know how to make Grandmama’s meat and marinara sauces as well as homemade pasta.  She was already so proud of you, but she will love to watch us cooking together from her kitchen chair in Heaven.  

Perhaps most exciting for me, personally, in this last year has been watching your confidence in reading grow.  We learned in the middle of first grade that while you could decode words, your fluency was lagging a bit.  So we started reading more, and more, and more.  Many mornings were spent snuggling in bed, reading back and forth to one another.  And now, at the end of the summer, you are flying through Diary of a Wimpy Kid and not even stumbling over the big words.  Plus, just in the past couple of weeks, you’ve discovered that you can read for fun!  I have caught you reading in the morning on the couch, or in your room, and before bed.  For a long time, I think you were overwhelmed by anything with a lot of pages or words.  Now, you tackle them and enjoy the independence of being able to read to yourself if no one else is available.  You’ve also conned us into later bedtimes as you finished “just one more chapter!” That is okay with me, though, and I really hope this love of reading you’ve had for so long continues.

Daddy would be sad if I did not mention your involvement in sports.  This fall, you will do your fourth year of AYSO soccer.  You do not love soccer, but you do not hate it either, and we like to watch you improve.  Daddy works very hard with you, and while you may not always appreciate it right now, I know you will look back and feel pretty fortunate that your father cared so much.  You will also be in a short season of Fall Baseball.  You have some talent here, no doubt, but you are not a sporty kid just yet.  You are more content playing Legos or with other friends.  This may change, but it may not.  Either way, we know the exercise is important for you, and you do enjoy your games and time with your teammates.  And, of course, you love the participation trophies you have been accumulating!  

Bud, I want you to know how much I love you.  I know I am cranky sometimes and tell you to quit hanging on me and to get out of my face (because, seriously, that’s annoying), but I will always always always love you.  You are my little man. My favorite part of every day is going with Eleanor to pick you up from school.  Love to see you come out enthusiastically and hear a little about your day.  Hopefully, this year I will still get my daily hug…the hug that precedes the throwing of your backpack at me before you run for the park.  I will take what I can get!  You cannot even know how grateful I am to be around for these moments with you, to be able to volunteer in your classroom, serve in your school's parents organization, and be around for the little things.  This will not always be the case, and I heartily soak the moments in now, while I can. 

Love you!

Love,

Mommy