Nick's Life: July 2014

We were all in the same place in July, with Brandi and Nick returning to Michigan for two weeks.  There were activities every day: Fireworks, Toledo Zoo, YMCA, Toledo Mud Hens, Toledo Speedway, Museum of Art, Imagination Station, parks and playdates, and some I've probably forgotten.  Being in the house with Grandpa every day, Nick became assimilated into the routine... wake-up early, wash cars, tie-up tomatoes, clean the pool, water the grass, etc.  It was a win for Nick, who got paid handsomely, and bought three Godzilla figures with his new money (sharks are still interesting, but Godzilla is big all of a sudden.)

He's an excellent swimmer, passing the test at the YMCA to swim in the adult pool.  He will do 5 or so laps alongside me, then head to the family pool with a water slide.  He's a better swimmer than golfer (what form? how about left-handed?), or ballplayer (still a bit afraid of catching but, man, can he throw long and straight!).  He's simply becoming an academic - everything he reads will stick, and he can recall it quicker than a GM ignition switch.  Listening and retaining, that's a different skill. Or remembering details (like his jacket on a chair, using the restroom when necessary, putting on socks.) 

I will remember this month for the line, "I need to tell you something," which is the preface to most of Nick's comments.

July photos here.

- Jason

Nick's Life: June 2014

Being in Georgia for a week, I spent alot of time with Brandi, Nick and Thatcher.  We take the boys to the YMCA often, sometimes Jason and Seth join us.  It's always an experience, with the boys yelling in the locker room (such as when Nick referred to the gentleman across from us as having origins from Africa... the guy didn't seem to find it humorous... too many history books taken literally.)  Nick whistles in the shower now, no matter where (and as long as he's not naming off his anatomy out loud, as if to be taking an inventory, I'm ok with whistling.)
We got all three boys to SkyZone, an indoor trampoline park on the north side of Atlanta.  Nick managed his space well (better than Thatcher, anyway) and didn't get run over by bigger kids.

Nick's push for independence is coming on strong... he insists on ordering his own food, and wants to order for everyone else. He will lead wherever possible.  We went to the Alanta Zoo, where the boys budgeted their spending money, and led us through the park with maps.
He has an eye for things that I just don't have, somewhat artistic, but generally different.  He sees things in Lego blocks I can't see... I build cars and buildings, but he can create animals and creatures, amazingly accurate.  Or maybe it's just an age thing.  Fayling walks over to a drawn picture on the counter, asks Nick what it is... he says, "It's a torpedo," referring to this rainbow colored, clearly fuzzy ball that Thatcher had drawn with crayon.  Then Thatcher comes in the room later, completely independent... "It's a torpedo!"  Adults just can't see it.  I'd swear it was a mouse. (Picture is here.  See what you think it is.)

Great quotes this month:
"I noticed I survived the poisonous iron in my blood."
"I'm not worried about the blood coming from them, I'm worried about True Blood coming from me," (when watching some questionably violent content on YouTube, I believe.)
"I'm going to marry a woman who doesn't have a man."  Good, simple advice.

- Jason

Nick's Life: May 2014

A couple more teeth out of Nick's head and under the pillow this month.  They're worth 'a twenty-dollar buck' still, although Nick suggested the last one had an increased value of $68 from the toothfairy.  Not quite.  Other proclamations this month from Nick:
"Did you know I'm a star child, made from stardust?"
"You're not gonna stop me, Daddy.  Nothing is gonna stop me from getting this ice cream treat. Even though these potatoes are nasty!" (Angrily, as I made him try something he didn't like, threatening to withhold his dessert.)
"I noticed that I've survived the the poisonous iron in my blood!"

We all went to see an Atlanta Braves game, against the Cubs, this month (a walkoff winner in the 10th inning).  It was the first ballgame for Thatcher, who danced in the aisle and enjoyed himself immensely. They ate everything on the ballpark menu, and we got as close to a major league foul ball as I ever have in my life... about 2 rows in front of us, high in the upper 3B deck. Then we closed with fireworks after the game.  It looked like a rainout early, but turned out to be a perfect evening. 

We stayed one evening at an expensive (but disappointing) hotel in Atlanta one evening near a client's office, where Nick and I used the swimming pool and concierge.  I got to Vegas at the end of the month for work, staying at Belagio for the first time. I was $200 ahead for the week, playing blackjack with my co-workers. And I got more cucumber margaritas (yum!) It was a good time for the pedometer on my wrist to be working... topped 15,000 steps one day. And my workout continued in the pool at Bellagio, which was so ridiculously huge, I nearly drowned from the length of a single lap (I'm up to a mile swim usually, but something about the length of the pool made it harder.)

He's extended his interest in ocean life to the small water, seeing the koi fish at Ms. Cindy's house, and at the local pet store.  He thinks he wants a koi pond.  For now, Seth's turtles will have to do.

Nick has expressed few fears in his young life, the short-lived fear of helicopters overhead was a rare situation. We've been more concerned he has no fears, really, especially the taste for a good scuffle.  But thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes seemed to have crept into his consciousness.

Pictures from May behind this link.

- Jason

Nick's Life: April 2014

This was our 'moving out' month as we packed up from our home on Racewood.  So with music playing often in the background while packing, we listed to the theme from Jaws, by request... a lot.  Nick created his own home movie of Jaws, complete with Lego characters and paper boats, and of course theme music.  He was really good about passing time as we packed.  Then, the song after Jaws accidentally comes on.  And now he loves Air Supply.  Ugh. But mostly it was about the theme from Indiana Jones this month, which he hummed to every action seen he created.  He's never scene it, but it's likely YouTube has planted it in his head.

Our big adventure was the ZipLine which justified its own post.  Otherwise, half the month was in Georgia, so there's a lot of pictures roaming around activities in the south.  Except for the snow, which was on our moving day... even pushing back to April 15 couldn't avoid the snow, as we got the last 3 inches of winter that morning.

Nick saw a giant dead black snake outside, which was a precuror to his first live venomous snake in the wild a couple weeks later. Good news he found it with his eyes, not his feet.  The other pictures this month are of Nick and the boys at the entertainment park in Atlanta, on the slides, mini-golf course, and his first time driving small go-karts and a little Model-T. (Funny he's already driven real cars, one of his favorite things.) Teaching my niece Haleigh to drive a stick shift is on my list, too... the kids will be driving me around soon enough.

Pictures here from April.

- Jason

Nick and Mason on the ZipLine

Robin, Brandi, Bo and I took the boys to Adventure Park, a new 'aerial forest park' here in metro Detroit, or essentially a ZipLine park. I wasn't sure either of them (ages 6 and 7) would get up high in the trees attached to a rope and hook, but they were fearless, and Bo and I had to talk them down from the higher wires. Nick's review was, "This is the greatest thing ever.  Except it pinches my balls (referring to the safety harness.)"  

Video of Nick in the trees.
Video of Nick on the ZipLine.
Video of Jason on the ZipLine.


Mason led the first round, and Nick led the second.  This is a great exercise in not just balance and dexterity, but attention to detail and routine.  The boys got the hang of it in a matter of minutes, and probably could go up on their own.  Now I know what a Tweezle is.

Photos here from our day in the trees.

- Jason