This past weekend (I can still say that even though it's Thursday, right?), we were planning on laying low because hubs had quarter close and we just had lots of stuff to get done. So Friday morning (one of the first Fridays in awhile I've had NO work to do), the kids and I woke up with an easy errand list to accomplish: make cookie dough for an upcoming party, make pizza dough for the nights' dinner, head to Gobbles' eye dr appointment, pick up our fence permit, go grocery shopping, and come home and make pizza for dinner.
We finished up the kitchen prep pretty quickly after breakfast, giving the us a chance to play "netball" on the sunporch as the kids named it and build a fort in the family room. After lunch we trekked down to the hospital for the anxiety-inducing semi-annual event that is Gobbles' eye exam. I could tell they were hopping busy because the Dr. didn't even come in for the prior to dilation part, so they took down our recent changes and ran Gobbles through the steps of reading letters off the wall. This time, the Lobster whispered her corrections to his missed letters in my ear as he misread. He took his drops like a champ and we were sent back out to the waiting room for his pupils to grow.
An hour later we were called back in for the moment of truth, but were forced to wait a little (45 minutes) longer in the tiny exam room. The kids passed the time by practicing directions along the colored tiles, turning right and left as I instructed. When that got old we played good old-fashioned whisper down the lane, where despite only having three people and loud whispers we still managed to mangle the sayings. The doctor finally came in to exam my boy and gave us the first sigh of relief- not a significant change. So the super expensive prescription swim goggles and rec specs we have for our activities can remain, while Gobbles will surely get another pair of regular glasses anyway since they're pretty beat up.
Then came the discussion that returned that old lump to my throat and tears to the back of my eyes. The doctor reminded me that next appointment, we'll have to schedule an additional specialist to discuss visual aids for future schooling. Examples she brought up were a magnifying glass for desk work and a compact little telescope (like a pirate??) for auditorium gatherings. My heart sank as I was once again hit with the reality that he won't just get to be a regular kid in class. Not that I mind him sitting in the front of the room all the time, but having tools? I can hear the jeers of future classmates now, stupid mean kids. Anyway, I'm projecting again.
The kids begged to play at the hospital playground when we left, and armed with my giant sunglasses to protect his light-sensitive dilated eyes, Gobbles was set. While we were out there I got a text from a daycare mom saying she'd given her kids a home day today but now they were driving her nuts, so we agreed to meet up at a park closer to my house. I dragged the kids off the playground with the promise of another playground, this time with friends, and home we drove. At the new park, the kids ran and played and the mom and I chatted. Surprisingly, the older two (Gobbles and the one we always call his girlfriend) were not feeling each other and got into a little tiff which the mom and I were cracking up at. A few Gatorades later everyone was happy and we were making plans to go back to our house for pizza, the rest of our errand list put off to another day.
When we got home the dogs ran around excitedly at the unexpected company, I threw the pizza crust I'd made in the freezer (the other ingredients were still on the grocery list) and met the delivery guy in the driveway with some fresh hot ones just as the dad was walking up the driveway with a case of beer. We all hung out on the sunporch eating pizza, drinking beers (or capri suns), and playing. I gave myself a secret pat on the back for being spontaneous and not worrying about the state of the house before having company over, though I knew the busy mom with me probably didn't even notice.
The next day, with hubs off to work after arriving home pretty late the night before, my sister came to the pool with the kids and I. They showed off their swimming skills (jumping in skills?) while she did me a favor by watching them for a half hour while I swam laps. Gobbles tried and tried to dive off the diving board, but each time jumped at the last minute. He and the Lobster demanded I show them how I dive (and a cannonball) so I did just that to the entertainment of the lifeguards. After a few hours my sister was off to the shore and the kids and I got a text from hubs that he was on his way home - YIPPIE!
We swung home to pick up hubs because we decided to hit up the bike race and associated festivities since he was now free. There was a free kids' race to kick of the day, and we wanted to make it in time to register the kids. I'm so thankful that hubs made it because I didn't realize they'd be in two different age groups at the start line, and waiting for the race to start took at least a half hour. Hubs stuck with Gobbles while I hung out with the Lobster, who was not confident in her regular bicycle abilities so she opted to use a plasma bike instead.
As soon as they said GO, my daughter transformed into something I've never seen before. My always silly, bubbly, not a care in the world kid turned into this serious and determined racing machine. At one point I told her to smile because her look was so intense I was afraid she'd pop a blood vessel. When I showed a coworker the video later she said "oh wow, that's exactly how you are when you race". Even though this woman has never seen me race, I think she's right, the Lobster took it so seriously and just had her eyes on the finish line, I'm so proud.
We managed to get her medal and get situated at a spot beyond the finish line before Gobbles came down the road. He held his own among a lot of kids that were bigger than him and was so proud of himself for "passing two kids" out of his 6 person group. He did later emphasize that he really wants to try without the training wheels, and we will soon. Things like that are number 1 on my working-mom guilt list. Though he's worlds ahead on socialization and school type things, he's behind his non-daycare peers on things that he just doesn't have the time to do every day because he's just never home. He'll get there though.
Gobbles got his medal and the kids paraded around with their new bling proudly. First we got a shaved ice to celebrate and then the kids made their way up and down the street to all of the usual town vendor booths, adding to our collection swag with more frisbees, flashlights, beach balls, and hand sanitizers, as if we didn't have enough. We watched the adult tricycle competition before stopping into Iron Hill to see what kind of wait they had for dinner. Shockingly, it was only 20 minutes (probably due to the outdoor beer garden and all of the festivities still going on) so we had a yummy dinner with custom bike race beers and the lobster eating half of my mussels after deciding she loved them.
We came out shortly after the professional women's race began and managed to find a decent spot to watch a few laps. As the kids got antsy we made our way closer to the finish line where we saw a fantastic finish with a 49 year old woman threading the needle at the last minute to pull off a win. After the victory speech we made our way further down the road to watch the men's race begin. It was amazing to see the start of the race as the field gets chopped when a biker gets lapped. For the first few it was just a streak of bicycles providing a legitimate breeze each time they whirred by. With 55 laps to go and the kids getting droopy eyed, we headed home with a stop for ice cream on the way (per the Lobster's request). Pretty soon we were all in bed, ready for a lazy Sunday that consisted of grocery shopping, dog walking, and more bike riding.
Hey mom, i'm really creative, let's call this "net ball"
Can you see me in the fort?
Whisper down the lane!
as K said "this is the best day EVER!"
Here we come, Aunt M!
Karate JUMP!
I LOVE the slide! Even when the water isn't working!
check out my form! I'm getting better...
ok Lobster, just tuck and Roll if you fall over!
my spiderman bike is cooler than YOUR spiderman bike!
Getting a pep talk from mommy!
Let's do this!
Whoo hoo! Now I can breathe!
Oh I'm ready dad!
We're like celebrities!
Check out this bling!
Yes. I'm eating mussels. Now more please!
The best swag we got - cowbells!!!
Wow they're so fast we can't see them!
If you listen closely, you can hear the announcer say "This girl is like
the Truman Show, every moment of her life has been documented on that phone". Very true, sir!
and Gobbles is OFF!
Gobbles at the finish line.. here he comes on that spiderman bike!
Last weekend, we got together with some of our oldest friends and decided to go camping. We've done this quite a few times before with this crew (like here and here), our buddies from college, but it was always on a property with an accessible bathroom and kitchen. This time, we headed up to French Creek State Park where we had four adjacent family campsites reserved.
We arrived second and found that our site was a little ways downhill from the others, but since we had the most convenient family for camping then we were ok. We decided that our gathering spot would be between the campsites where each family had a 1.5 year old, since the older kids could stay up by the fire and the newborns could sleep in arms at the fire. I unloaded the car while hubs set up the tent, and within 15 minutes we had our first injury. Gobbles had been running around exploring when he tripped on a rock and sliced open his knee- blood everywhere. The band-aids we packed weren't quite up to the challenge of this cut, but the first aid kit I keep in the car had giant bandages that seemed to do the trick. After some howling and dramatics (which returned when we got home Sunday afternoon and I tried to clean it with peroxide), Gobbles was good to go, proudly showing everyone his battle scar.
Our other friends arrived shortly and we went exploring. The bathrooms weren't too far of a walk from the site, although after it got dark both of my kids (fine and me too) took advantage of the privacy of the woods to pee. The Lobster only gave me one scare as I was holding her in the air Mommy I have to poop! but then decided she didn't have to and managed to do that kind of business in the proper facilities all weekend. Closet to our campsite was a little playground. We armed ourselves with solo cups full of adult beverages made our way over there, and within minutes Gobbles let out another howl. I didn't see this one, but apparently he reached for the zipline/monkey bar thing, missed, and did a nosedive landing headfirst on the ground 4 feet below. Thankfully he seemed in tact after a few minutes (head hits always scare me with the whole retina thing) and he shook it off to keep playing.
The kids were soon hungry so we had pizza that someone had picked up on the way into the park and the boys completed setting up the camp and starting the fire. After dinner, the kids pulled out their bikes and rode back and forth along the little road, calling out every time they saw a car approach. If Gobbles had it his way he would have ridden his bike the entire weekend. Fatigue set in quickly and in order to extend their night we began shoving the kids full of roasted marshmallows, s'mores, and fire-made popcorn. One by one they retreated to their tents nearby and the parents came back to hang out around the fire. I felt like the night was just getting started when the Lobster announced she was tired and insisted on going to bed too. I went with her because our tent was just too far away for her to be alone. Gobbles soon joined us, and the two of them soon took over the full size mattress we were all sharing. We could only fit one full and one twin in the tent, so I gave hubs the twin and roughed it with the kids (note to self, time for a new tent). By the time I woke up in the morning I was horizontal across the bottom of the mattress with little feet in my face.
We woke up to a breakfast of sausage and eggs (apparently our tent is the late sleeper crew too) and the kids took off on their bikes again for awhile. For the rest of the morning, we split up with half going to the pool and half the lake. Gobbles and the Lobster were so excited to go on their first boat ride, so we rented a rowboat and hit the water. The kids marveled at everything, from the frog that had been hiding under the boat to the lily pads and gorgeous flowers. They tried feeding crackers to the fish but the clang of our paddles against the boat must have frightened them all away. I rowed the majority of the time because like shoveling snow, rowing a boat is something I just don't mind, I kind of enjoy the exercise. It made me really miss my carefree college days of being out on the water with the concrete canoe team. Towards the end of the hour Gobbles even decided that he wanted to help me row, using all of his strength to propel us forward through the water.
After boating, we had lunch back at the campsite and soon Gobbles was back on his bike while the Lobster did some painting with the other kids. The adults relaxed and debated going for a hike with the little remaining energy. Finally, after the nappers were awake a group of us set off to find the trail shown on the map. We found the marked trees and started off, determined to get to the edge of another lake and a dam. The downhill trek wasn't really treacherous, but we reminded the kids to keep their eyes on the ground so they could traverse the rocks and branches. They went as fast as their little legs could carry them and we finally arrived at the dam. The kids oohed and ahhed and Gobbles insisted on some selfies before we started back up the trail. Before we even took a step all of the kids declared their exhaustion, so it was up onto our shoulders they went. I was in pain for about 5 seconds with the 30 lb Lobster when I realized that hubs was carrying 50 lbs of Gobbles, so I stopped feeling sorry and soldiered on, yelling at my daughter to stop grabbing branches as we went by and flinging them back on her dad and brother. I might have yelled a few times too for her to stop pulling my hair, but then she settled down. We made it up the hill in half the time it took to go down, and were soon back at camp drinking celebratory beers and cooking dinner. Gobbles alternated between biking and playing trucks with the little guys, and the Lobster played a few rounds of wiffle ball.
As dusk set in we settled around the fire again. This time the kids knew what to expect and dove right into the marshmallows after the glow sticks were distributed. We hung out, chatted, and laughed about old times, but with the diverse range of ages of the kids it wasn't until very late that all 8 adults were able to relax around the fire at the same time. At this point the Lobster was dead to the world in my arms, Gobbles in hubs. We enjoyed some more time with our friends and when the point came where we couldn't even get up to refill our beers without disturbing the kids, we called it a night. Of course when we got the kids into the tent they woke up, the Lobster screaming to wake the entire park with her half awake, half dreaming, fully tired wail. Gobbles did amazing tolerating her settling, and soon we were all asleep. I woke up a few times that night to the Lobster kicking me, and realizing her head must have been on Gobbles side, I snapped a few flash pictures, miraculously waking no one.
The next morning I was up with the rest of the group while my family slept. Finally after what seemed like hours I found the Lobster awake and ready for her blueberry pancakes. Everyone was amazed that hubs and Gobbles could continue to sleep, and they did until we gave a breakfast last call. The kids were back on their bikes while we cleaned up camp, scouted out new, closer sites for next year, packed the cars, and lamented the shortness of the weekend. Though we only see these families a few times a year, we always enjoy when we do and seem to fall right back into fun with them.
My morning walk the day the rest of them slept in
gobbles and V, reunited
I'm helpin my pal N!
and he's BACK on the zipline!
talking about the size of their knives or something. old college buddies
New friends!
Here i go!
I'm just over here holding court... ya know!
the perfect s'more
someone had too many marshmallows!
These boys became quick friends
family boat outing!
check out that toad!
my girl!
On a boat!
These two!
Yep - that's a bachelorette party shirt!
just one more - hugs!
where shall we go?
a boy and his dad!
daddy's little girl
my best buddy
he's a natural on the water
look at that wingspan!
into the lily pads!
love angry birds
Goin on a hike!
some dads and kids
A family stowaway
beautiful!
Look! a green marked tree!
All that way for this?
at least i can twirl!
the master of the selfie
speaking of selfies...
this is the life... look how happy we are!
farmer jed lunchlady ;)
These kids and their bikes!
my sweeties
see that little spot beneath the Lobster? that's where i slept
